How to really measure water conditions properly

[elwaynetan]

Ok... 1 week after cycling... My water is like 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate. GH 2, pH 7.5... My soil was mixed used ADA, africana and benichi mixed with bacteria powder and fulvic grain... Eheim 2222 canister filter second hand... So is my water maturing alrd?

[elwaynetan]

Ok... 1 week after cycling... My water is like 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate. GH 2, pH 7.5... My soil was mixed used ADA, africana and benichi mixed with bacteria powder and fulvic grain... Eheim 2222 canister filter second hand... So is my water maturing alrd?

anybody? haha...

[elwaynetan]

by the way... does anyone here have a few cherries to spare? haha..

[alvinchan80]

Ok... 1 week after cycling... My water is like 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate. GH 2, pH 7.5... My soil was mixed used ADA, africana and benichi mixed with bacteria powder and fulvic grain... Eheim 2222 canister filter second hand... So is my water maturing alrd?

A week cycle and your ammonia is at zero, nitrate also zero? Your PH should not be at 7.2 if you are using those soil brand new..

Is your soil new soil? Media inside is new too?

[elwaynetan]

A week cycle and your ammonia is at zero, nitrate also zero?

Is your soil new soil? Media inside is new too?

No... my filter is second hand, washed with tank water...

Soil is 3 types of used soil mixed together (mainly ADA, amazonia and Benibachi) with bacteria powder and fulvic grain. (courtesy of newlife)

what would be your take?

[alvinchan80]

No... my filter is second hand, washed with tank water...

Soil is 3 types of used soil mixed together (mainly ADA, amazonia and Benibachi) with bacteria powder and fulvic grain. (courtesy of newlife)

what would be your take?

Canister not an issue..

Change soil to new soil.. Restart tank and cycle again..

[cheetf]

Soil is 3 types of used soil mixed together (mainly ADA, amazonia and Benibachi) with bacteria powder and fulvic grain. (courtesy of newlife)

All the 3 soils are acidic and can easily bring your ph to the ph 5 region. Ph 7.2 would usually mean that these soils are expired.

[elwaynetan]

All the 3 soils are acidic and can easily bring your ph to the ph 5 region. Ph 7.2 would usually mean that these soils are expired.

Maybe... I tested my waters yesterday after 3 days of CO2 inject. The reading dropped to 6.8 now... So I guessed it's the CO2 inject that did the work. Still monitoring! I am adding in nutrients myself now... I guess the pH work I have to do it myself manually...

[elwaynetan]

Anyway, to update, I have finally discover how to use the gH test kit all by myself. Initially I was always dropping 2-3 drops because the 1st drop turns orange... So I am always thinking that my gH is 1 - 3. Well, apparently, something struck me some days back. Why should there be green in this test kit if I don't ever see green. So I supposed I have to turn the orange colour into green to determine the gH value. Ok! I found myself stupid. But lesson learnt!

But the crap thing is that my gH is like 20. Freak high. But my Cherries/Rilis/Blue Pearls are good in the water I see.