BIG PROBLEM! LOW pH Value!

[vinz]

Read this about using baking soda.

[renrub]

thanks for all the help... added 1/4 tablespoon of sodium carbonate to my 57litre tank. my pH sort of stablised from early afternoon till now, maintained between pH 6 to 6.5. Tested the kH value but still got less than 1dkH.. is there something wrong with my test kit?

[ckll]

Why don't you put a couple of drops of the kH test reagent into a solution of baking soda. It should turn blue immediately if it's working.

Anyway, 1/4 teasp to 57 litres raises it by about 1dkH, so it may be right after all assuming your initial kH was 0. Target 3-5 dkH. So, can add another 1/4 teasp then test again. Should give you 2dkH then.

[renrub]

as what i understand from the test kit instructions, it states that the colour should change from blue to green then to yellow.

I'll quote from it :

"Add reagent drop by drop. Shake vial gently after every drop, until the colour changes from blue, via green to yellow."

I hope i never made a mistaking in understanding the instructions.

[zmzfam]

What you can do is to double the volume of the sampling water. For e.g. if the instruction say to collect 5ml of the tank water, collect 10ml instead.
Do the drop by drop test. The number of drops divided by 2 will give you the dkH of your water. This will give you a better resolution, i.e. if the total number of drops to turn yellow is 7, then your kH will be 3.5