GH PROBLEM

[dale_d_h]

Ive just been out and bought a NUTRAFIN MASTER TEST KIT
Here are my results:

190 litre tank:
Ph - 7.2
Ammonia - 0.1 mg/l
Nitrite - 0 mg/l
Nitrate - 110 mg/l
Phosphate - 5 mg/l
Kh - 60 mg/l
Gh - 520 mg/l
Ca - 200 mg/l


High nitrite and phosphate so a 30 litre water change was done right away, then another tomorrow


250 litre tank:
Ph - 7.2
Ammonia - 0.1 mg/l
Nitrite - 0 mg/l
Nitrate - 50 mg/l
Phosphate - 5 mg/l
Kh - 50 mg/l
Gh - 560 mg/l
Ca - 260 mg/l

High phosphate again, cut down on feeding will fix that. 30 litre water change


Ok, here is the one that has really got me scratching my head.

180 litre Brackish tank:
sg - 1.009 (normally held near around 1.010-1.012)
Ph - 8.1
Ammonia - 0 mg/l
Nitrite - 0 mg/l
Nitrate - 50 mg/l
Phosphate - 5 mg/l
Kh - 120 mg/l
Ca - 400 mg/l

Gh - this test is done by adding 1 drop until the water goes from pink to purple then multiply that by 20. I gave up after 70 drops! Cleaned out a new test tube (with fresh water only) and started again. Once again got to 40 drops and thought there is something wrong here!!! It is a hard water area as the other results show from the other tanks, but as high as that result would of shown over 1400 mg/l? Any ideas?

 

[Dr Joe]

Test your tap water for a baseline measurement.

Verify results with a good lfs or lab before taking actions.

how lon have the tanks been up and all the usual info needed here.

 

[WyldFya]

That phosphate level isn't that bad. In my area, phosphates come out of the tap at 40ppm.

 

[dale_d_h]

all the tanks have been running for a year to 18 months.
filters:
250 litre tank - superfish pro 3sp
190 litre tank - superfish pro 4sp
180 litre tank - fluval 205

all media - filter pads, Eheim Substrat Pro, Eheim Ehfimech 5

fish stock:
250 litre - 3 brislenose, 10 cory, 5 whiptails, 1 black shark, 1 paradise fish, 10 angels
190 litre - 1 black shark, 1 red tail shark, 3 clown loach, 2 plecs, 10 cory, 4 hoplo cats
180 litre brackish tank - 10 mollies, 2 scats, 1 mono, 1 shark cat, 2 tigerfish, 1 GSP