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Thread: Ph & Kh

  1. #1
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    Ph & Kh

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    Hi,

    I just got the JBL Ph & Kh testkit and this is my tank results :

    Ph 5.5
    Kh 4 - 5 degree

    I put 4 - 5 drops then the colour changes from clear to yellow-orange, I dunno really how to see the colour changes.. can someone pls help me on how to do the Kh test and what does it means ?


    It a 2ft planted tank tank with DIY CO2

    Questions :

    Is the Ph too low in my tank?? I tested the tap water...Ph around 7-7.5

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    hi stanley

    test your tank water again...cos if your KH is at 4 to 5, you should have seen a blue solution before the yellow....rinse the valve and dry it will. ensure that there is only 5ml of water (make sure that the lowest point of the water is at 5ml..as water in any cylinder will create a U-shape). shake the solution well....and drop...count the number of drops and the total will be the KH reading.

    Is your fishes gasping at the surface? They should be by now coz at KH 4 to 5, the 'correct' PH for CO2 rich water should be around 6.5 ot 6.6...at 5.5 you have way over injected CO2....Should you PH be correct at 5.5, than you KH will be at 1 or near 0.

    If your fishes are gasping at the surface execute a 50% water change and stop CO2 injection. If your KH is at 1 or near 0.....add baking soda or KH up powder to increase KH level...never raise the KH by more than 2points within 24hrs.....suggest is that add 2 teaspoon at a time...dissolve it well and pour it evenly round the tank...wait an hour and take the reading again.....continue the process till you reach your 24hr quota.....ideal KH level should be 4 to 5.
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    David,

    Thanks for the prompt reply...

    My fish are doing fine mostly neon tetras, not gasping for air in the surface at all

    When doing the tests, I actually drop like around 7-8 drops but still no changes... the water just turns more yellow-orange due to the orange drops... so I was kinda wondering if I did the test correctly...

    What is the Kh for tap water.. perhaps I'll try them on the tap water first to see is there any blue before yellow...

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    Stanley:

    I think your kH is 0. Tap water is usually 0 dkH or at most 2 dkH.

    If your sample tank water has some carbonate hardness, the first drop of kH solution will turn the water blue. You keep adding drops until it turns yellow. The number of drops will determine the dkH.

    As a test, you can add some baking soda to a sample of tap water. Then test the kH. It should turn blue at the first drop.

    Having 0 kh is not good as the pH can be quite low due to CO2 fertilisation and therefore harmful for fish.

    You can get some kH powder from LFS to increase the kH. But increase the kH slowly. In my case, my tank has some coral sand and it contributed to about at least 5 dkH.

    After increasing the kH, your pH should stabilise towards 7.
    koah fong
    Juggler's tanks

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    agree with juggler. raise your kH but please do it gradually. 2deg in 24hrs is ok but I recomend 1 deg a day.
    Cheers!!

    Sherwin Choo
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    I just got a kh kit as well, for a planted tank, waht should the values be?

    I think my ph is 7.0 - 7.4 (can't tell).

    my kh is 8

    co2 is being pumped it but the plants arent' bubbling, so I suspect the kh is too high (cos i'm using MH lights).

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    ----------------
    On 1/11/2002 11:51:51 AM

    I just got a kh kit as well, for a planted tank, waht should the values be?

    I think my ph is 7.0 - 7.4 (can't tell).

    my kh is 8

    co2 is being pumped it but the plants arent' bubbling, so I suspect the kh is too high (cos i'm using MH lights).

    ----------------
    u gotta confirm the reading for yr PH.. .4 difference is alot.. at PH 7, yr KH shld be ard 6-7 (i think)

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    Hi

    I'm new to this
    May I know what is KH and how will affect the PH and what is it suppose to do.
    I know that the more CO2 u pump the lower the PH.
    Thx
    I Love Penang

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    Hi,

    Wow, I just added 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda into my 2ft tank... within 10mins..all the plants starts to bubble..


    Plants are :

    cabomba - a little bit only, mostly covered by algae.. [:0]
    java fern - a lot on the leaves
    Egeria Densa - a lot of bubbles
    java moss - a little little bit

    Tested the Kh... 1 drop, light blue... 2nd drop..no colour...3rd drop
    yellowish.. so the Kh is 3 right??

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    Yup thts correct KH 3 very low. increase KH.

    Test yr KH again after u put Baking soda.
    Cheers!

    Benetay

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    ----------------
    On 1/11/2002 2:46:00 PM

    Hi

    I'm new to this
    May I know what is KH and how will affect the PH and what is it suppose to do.
    I know that the more CO2 u pump the lower the PH.
    Thx
    ----------------
    kh is carbonate hardness, a measure of how much carbonate there is in your water
    in practice, we think of it as bicarbonate

    when you inject co2, a buffer system is setup between the carbonic acid and the bicarbonate
    in simple terms, if you inject too much co2, the bicarbonate cannot buffer the H+, the pH will skydive

  12. #12
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    KH or carbonate hardness acts as a buffer for dissolved CO2......

    A rough guide for CO2 rich water are

    KH 3 = 6.3
    KH 4 = 6.5
    KH 5 = 6.7
    KH 6 = 6.9
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    ----------------
    On 1/12/2002 1:28:05 AM

    Malaysian

    KH or carbonate hardness acts as a buffer for dissolved CO2......

    A rough guide for CO2 rich water are

    KH 3 = 6.3
    KH 4 = 6.5
    KH 5 = 6.7
    KH 6 = 6.9
    ----------------
    Errr, David. What are the numbers on right side? pH?
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
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    Any difference between baking soda and KH up powder in terms of effects on the tank water?

    Is it cheaper to use baking soda? Any reason to use KH up instead of baking soda?

    Thanks.
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
    Why use punctuation? See what a difference it makes:
    A woman, without her man, is nothing.
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    yes, vinz those numbers represent PH.. u can use baking soda instead if u find KH up abit ex

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    Wat KH you guys recommend. I read books and they say 3 - 4 is good.
    Regards
    William

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    william, depending on yr PH level.. KH co-exist with PH.. see the image below



    a KH of 3-4 will give u a PH of less than 6.7

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    Hi,

    I just added another teaspoon of baking soda ( total 2 teaspoon in 2 days ) and my ph & kh changes is as follows :

    KH, from 3 raise to 4
    PH, from 5.5 ( before adding baking soda ) to 7

    But now my plants isn't bubbling at all.... is this because of the raise in Ph and therefore a drop in CO2 in the water ??

    From Simon's chart, that is what it is saying....... should I increase my Kh even more ??

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    best if u can test the water again.. then raise the KH to at least 5-6 and PH at 6.8

  20. #20
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    hi william

    that correct...between 3 to 5KH level is good for plants....but I know some do push it to 6 to 7 with good results.

    hi stanley

    you are right....when you increase your KH level, the correct PH level for CO2 rich water changes....when you KH is at 4, PH at 7...it means that there is issufficient dissolved CO2 for your plants..the correct PH level for KH of 4 should be landing around 6.5, 6.6...do not increase you KH level anymore...you should be injecting CO2 till your PH reaches the desired level.
    [email protected]
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