One drop is one dKH, so for each drop it takes before it turns yellow it's 17.8 PPM of KH, so that would put your KH between 89 and 106.8 parts per million, so the KH level should be OK.
Ph Level I'm very confused
- Thread starter Catfish093
- Start date
Great news so once I get the crushed coral I should keep up regular water changes and monitor ?
If your pH drops to 4, from the taps 7, it means you are not doing enough water changes.
No matter what the generic fish liturature books say is sufficient, or any standard averages say about water changes. A drastic drop in pH tells all, for your tank.
For the size tank you have, with the fish you have, if your pH drops by 2 ,from 7 to 5, it means you need to do a large water change.
It doesn't matter if its 3 days, or 2, or 5. A drastic pH drop means acidification due to fish urine, and waste build up in the tank, and in the filters.
Your 30% water change once per week seems to barely dilute the fish urine a slight amount indicated by the pH crash.
I agree with the others who say doing daily 20% water changes to gradually bring pH to equilibrium will be needed to not shock the fish, and then you need to up the volume and frequency of your normal change to maintain pH between 6-7 as an average.
Crushed coral may help a bit, but more water changes are really your only realistic solution.
No matter what the generic fish liturature books say is sufficient, or any standard averages say about water changes. A drastic drop in pH tells all, for your tank.
For the size tank you have, with the fish you have, if your pH drops by 2 ,from 7 to 5, it means you need to do a large water change.
It doesn't matter if its 3 days, or 2, or 5. A drastic pH drop means acidification due to fish urine, and waste build up in the tank, and in the filters.
Your 30% water change once per week seems to barely dilute the fish urine a slight amount indicated by the pH crash.
I agree with the others who say doing daily 20% water changes to gradually bring pH to equilibrium will be needed to not shock the fish, and then you need to up the volume and frequency of your normal change to maintain pH between 6-7 as an average.
Crushed coral may help a bit, but more water changes are really your only realistic solution.
I know that haha I was referencing for this in particular as the resolution
Feedback taken on board thank you very much.
Just an aside.
The alkalinity (American term for German hardness similar meaning) is the amount of calcium buffering capacity of your tap water.
The higher the alkalinity, the more fish urine you tap water will neutralize, over a longer period, and vice versa.
Lake Michigan has an average alkalinity of 120, and corresponding pH of 8.4+,
after treatment, that alkalinity drops to about 100, and a pH of 7.8 .
Because my tap source was Lake Michigan, in my tanks to maintain an alkalinity of near 100, I needed to do a 30% to 40% water change every other day . This water change schedule also helped keep pH up.
But another aside, your chocolate cichlid is a soft water/low pH type species, so a pH of 4 as long as water quality is high, will work.
Oscars however prefer pH in the 6-7 range.
Bichers pH range (I believe, no personal experience) is 6-8.
The alkalinity (American term for German hardness similar meaning) is the amount of calcium buffering capacity of your tap water.
The higher the alkalinity, the more fish urine you tap water will neutralize, over a longer period, and vice versa.
Lake Michigan has an average alkalinity of 120, and corresponding pH of 8.4+,
after treatment, that alkalinity drops to about 100, and a pH of 7.8 .
Because my tap source was Lake Michigan, in my tanks to maintain an alkalinity of near 100, I needed to do a 30% to 40% water change every other day . This water change schedule also helped keep pH up.
But another aside, your chocolate cichlid is a soft water/low pH type species, so a pH of 4 as long as water quality is high, will work.
Oscars however prefer pH in the 6-7 range.
Bichers pH range (I believe, no personal experience) is 6-8.
Quick update I put 300g of Crushed Coral into my filter 2 days ago and tested this morning and my Ph level is now nearly at 6. So far so good 
The calcium carbonate will buffer in between water changes and help stabilize the ph but don’t use this as an excuse to not do water changes.
You will still need to do normal maintenance and you will find the system and your fish will stabilize and prosper.
You will still need to do normal maintenance and you will find the system and your fish will stabilize and prosper.
Yeah I've been doing the recommendations listed here by the people on this thread. The fish seem a little bit happier because of that. My Oscar is starting to re-decorate the tank again but don't think the Bichir appreciates having bog-wood pushed over it's head at times haha
