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New tank readings

DTM61

Member
Joined
1 Dec 2020
Messages
86
Location
West Yorkshire
Hi all,

I set up my new tank a couple of days ago and am curious about the test results I've had. The tank is a low tech 35l with bogwood, dennerle soil and ada la plata, lots of plants too. I'm adding tnc carbon and dennerle daily fertiliser.

My tap water is 7.5ph but the tank is 6ph at most, on the ntslabs test kit the (tank) colour is very yellow, only the slightest bit green? Is this the soil and wood leaching?

My kh and GH are also strange. The Kh test doesn't go blue at all, just straight to yellow on both tap and tank water??

GH the second drop of solution B goes very deep purple and the third goes navy blue (on both tap and tank). So can I assume I have very soft water? What can you suggest to bring the levels up to something more suitable?

I only have plants at the moment and the tank has only been set up for a couple of days. Will the plants be harmed by these levels? Any help very very much appreciated.
 
Yeah mate if it is Dennerle scapers soil it is designed to lower the PH. Plants and fish will be fine at this level as is your hardness. If you want to bring it up a little change some water with the tap water. The PH lowering action will wear off after a while with the substrate.
 
Thanks for the reply. I was just concerned that my pH was literally off the visual scale. Just a thought but are these tests temperature dependent?? I'm only running at 22c at the moment to combat algae.

I've been changing 50% everyday but see no difference in pH by the morning, it always looks below 6. I've used a sheet of paper behind the test tube and asked two other people to read it just incase it's my eyes lol.
 
No not temp dependant mate however visual test kits are in the eye of the beholder right lighting from a certain angle sort of thing. Either way a ph of 6 is fine. I think these types of substrate are designed for people with hard alkaline water in mind. Soft and acidic is generally seen has better for plants. No experience with that particular substrate but it will wear off over time. Your tank is probably dropping more than most by having softwater to start with.
 
Forgot to add that I take the readings for both tank and tap water to read 1dkh (if that) and 3dgh.
 
One good thing about having a low ph while starting up a tank is it pre vents the ammonia becoming toxic. Probably another reason the substrate is designed that way.
You sound like you have very similar tap water to mine. Once the substrate has done its thing it will be perfect for softwater fish. Also good for plants.
Just keep doing small regular water changes mate. No need to worry, if you see most of the high tech tanks in here where they inject co2 to push their ph down to 6
 
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