Low kh and high gh??

[Ronskitz]

My params are:

kh 6

gh 25

ph 8

amm 0

nitri 0

nitra 10-15 ppm

temp 23

I tested the water coz my little guys where hiding a lot so i wondered why. I have just started using ro water with salty shrimp to remineralize am i doing something wrong cheers

Ron

[Squiggle]

Woah!! Is that in dGH or ppm, what test kit are you using? What shrimp are you keeping? For cherries you want a GH 4-14 & KH 0-10 & for crystals you want GH 4-6 & KH 0-2. Are you able to test your TDS? You might be over mineralizing the water with the SaltyShrimp but I can't be certain without knowing the TDS :dejection:

edit: I just re-read your post & I'm guessing with the ph that high you have cherries, might want to bring that down to around 7.2 - 7.4 as well.

[Ronskitz]

Yeah iv been working on my ph down aswell but struggling :( im using api test kit and it (painstakingly) took 25 drops. Iv just realised iv gotta convert it haha still learning this test. But its still extremely high

[Ronskitz]

Wouldnt over mineralising cause gh and kh to go up though ?

[jayc]

Yes, it does. Over mineralising with Salty Shrimp will raise GH an KH.

Some straight RO water every water change should reduce it slowly.

[Squiggle]

Yes it would & it has, before you started adding minerals both GH & KH should have been zero. Adding minerals has raised them both & it is normal for the GH to be higher than the KH but not to that degree. I have a feeling that your KH is what is keeping your PH so high as well.

The API test kits are great cause 1 drop = 1 degree of hardness, i.e. 1drop =1dGH of both GH & KH, there's no need to convert it to ppm.

There are a few ways to reduce your hardness, like peat moss, driftwood & IAL, but I would do water changes with pure RO water to dilute the levels down to where you want it. :encouragement:

[Ronskitz]

Awesome thanks guys done my first now and after my next one il retest cheers

[Ronskitz]

Ok guys iv managed to get params right now one last additional question iv got a 10 litre water container that i buy my ro in can i put salty shrimp staight into the container? The reason i ask is i have been told the it slowly depletes over time? Coz it would be a hell of a lot easier that way haha

[Squiggle]

I store my RO water in air tight drums & mix it up just before I do a waterchange. :victorious:

[Ronskitz]

Hi squig Yeah thats what i have been donig but it would be heaps easier if i could do it while in storage

[Squiggle]

I can understand that, I keep mine aerated when I mix up too much. :encouragement: