Need a little help

JennySolano said:

I used a different test kit, API, but went to YouTube for instructions

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I should have gone to utube for a more in-depth look at the jbl test kit.So far it seems a good test kit.I have the api master test kit,but it isn’t as comprehensive as the jbl kit,but it’s great for the four important factors

I’m loving YouTube for all kinds of fishy stuff. It’s replaced ye olde how to books

Fishfinder1973 said:

When I changed the water on Saturday the pH was a tad lower than 6.4 a couple of hours later.
The only thing I changed in the tank was the substrate,gravel to sand.I do have a couple of bits of bog wood,but I had a huge piece of bog wood in it before that was almost the length of the tank and it never affected the pH.
The pH then,was stable at 6.6 or 6.8,can’t quite remember,but it definitely didn’t drop.

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If you did a fairly large water change the change in PH was due to the amount of dissolved gasses in the water. This is what @Essjay was talking about earlier with testing your tap water direct from the tap and after its been sat for awhile.

The amount of dissolved gasses in your tap water can change the PH. As the water sits and off gasses a bit and the PH can then change again. It will generally stabilise at a set PH, which in your case looks to be at around 6.6-6.8. Just worth keeping in mind if you do a really large water change it might be worth letting the new water sit in a bucket for 24 hours first.

Pretty jealous. Most of my favorite fish are soft water fish and my local tap water is basic 90% rock.

xxBarneyxx said:

If you did a fairly large water change the change in PH was due to the amount of dissolved gasses in the water. This is what @Essjay was talking about earlier with testing your tap water direct from the tap and after its been sat for awhile.

The amount of dissolved gasses in your tap water can change the PH. As the water sits and off gasses a bit and the PH can then change again. It will generally stabilise at a set PH, which in your case looks to be at around 6.6-6.8. Just worth keeping in mind if you do a really large water change it might be worth letting the new water sit in a bucket for 24 hours first.

Pretty jealous. Most of my favorite fish are soft water fish and my local tap water is basic 90% rock.

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xxBarneyxx said:

If you did a fairly large water change the change in PH was due to the amount of dissolved gasses in the water. This is what @Essjay was talking about earlier with testing your tap water direct from the tap and after its been sat for awhile.

The amount of dissolved gasses in your tap water can change the PH. As the water sits and off gasses a bit and the PH can then change again. It will generally stabilise at a set PH, which in your case looks to be at around 6.6-6.8. Just worth keeping in mind if you do a really large water change it might be worth letting the new water sit in a bucket for 24 hours first.

Pretty jealous. Most of my favorite fish are soft water fish and my local tap water is basic 90% rock.

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The API test says my tap water was 7pH,which really made me wonder how it was dropping so quickly.The API test kit is a year old,but it should still be ok unless it was lying around for a while before I bought it.
Also,the API test would usually show my nitrates being around 40 three days after a 75% water change.Yes I do have a heavily stocked tank,but why did the jbl kit show the nitrates between 5 and 10 yesterday,two and a half days after a 75% change.I am going to do a comprehensive test on the water tonight with the jbl kit,but I doubt my nitrates have jumped 30-35ppm,obviously I could get a surprise but doubtful.I will compare the API nitrate test to the jbl to see if there’s a difference.
I am still in the design stage with the tank,trying to design in a way that prevents uneaten food being trapped and for easy cleaning(same thing I suppose)
You and essjay are correct and I will leave some tap water in a vessel til tomorrow night,just to be sure about the pH,and why it’s dropping.
I have loads of corydoras and they are doing well,but my barbs are doing well too considering how soft my water is.

So I did a nitrate test with both the API kit and the jbl kit.





Seems conflicting to me.