Heater and thermometer not matching

[enricosonic]

I've never kept bettas, but hard water is less than ideal. It would be helpful to know the hardness (GH reading) from your water authority.

 

[lynhagan]

 

[Essjay]

You have soft water. Ignore what Northumbrian Water says about "slightly hard" - it is not hard at all. Water companies always make water sound harder than it really is.

Your hardness is 8.38 dH and 147.5 ppm in the two units used in fish keeping.


Edit to add - this table in this thread explains what I mean about water company words

Hardness - words vs numbers

We always say to look on your water provider's website for hardness, and to ignore any words, look for a number. These are UK water company definitions of hardness compared to what we consider to be hard, soft and middling in fish keeping. Always look for numbers :) dH ppm Water company...

www.fishforums.net

 

[lynhagan]

The tetra test strips were also at the top end of results for GH and KH. I've bought the test kits to do tomorrow. My understanding is that it is fluctuations that are the most damaging? Do you keep Betta?

 

[GaryE]

Bettas don't care. They breathe atmospheric oxygen at the surface, and water hardness doesn't bother them much.

Never trust an aquarium heater - their thermostats are notoriously unreliable.

 

[Naughts]

water hardness doesn't bother them much.

Doesn't hard water cause the fins to curl and erode in Betta Splendens?
And doesn't the accumulation of minerals in their organs shorten their life?

 

[Colin_T]

Doesn't hard water cause the fins to curl and erode in Betta Splendens?

No. That problem is usually caused by poor water quality, external protozoan infections and external bacterial infections.

And doesn't the accumulation of minerals in their organs shorten their life?

Yes that can happen but it's a slow process depending on the hardness of the water. It's unlikely to be an issue for the OP whose GH is around 150ppm (top end of soft) and nothing to worry about for a Betta.

----------------------
For the OP, if the fish is gasping then there is something wrong with the water. Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week and see if it helps.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

 

[lynhagan]

No. That problem is usually caused by poor water quality, external protozoan infections and external bacterial infections.


Yes that can happen but it's a slow process depending on the hardness of the water. It's unlikely to be an issue for the OP whose GH is around 150ppm (top end of soft) and nothing to worry about for a Betta.

----------------------
For the OP, if the fish is gasping then there is something wrong with the water. Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week and see if it helps.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Hi @Colin_T and @Essjay. Thanks for both your advice. It only happened the one time and has not been happening since then. I have done a 30% water change today and the gravel. I'm wondering if the filter is working properly. Water is coming out of the nozzles but not in a particularly strong flow.
Regarding GH and KH, I ordered some more precise tests from API and Seachem and the results were weird.

I tested the tank before the water change and the parameters were
107-125 KH and 214 GH
I tested the treated tap water I was using for a water change and the parameters were
107 KH and 161 GH
I did a second tank test (I can't remember if before or after I added the clean water) and the parameters were
107KH and 214 GH

Could this be the problem? I don't know what could be causing the GH to rise in the tank. I have a few plants and a fake plastic decorative bit of wood.

Any ideas and advice please?

Lyn

 

[lynhagan]

Hi @Colin_T and @Essjay. Thanks for both your advice. It only happened the one time and has not been happening since then. I have done a 30% water change today and the gravel. I'm wondering if the filter is working properly. Water is coming out of the nozzles but not in a particularly strong flow.
Regarding GH and KH, I ordered some more precise tests from API and Seachem and the results were weird.

I tested the tank before the water change and the parameters were
107-125 KH and 214 GH
I tested the treated tap water I was using for a water change and the parameters were
107 KH and 161 GH
I did a second tank test (I can't remember if before or after I added the clean water) and the parameters were
107KH and 214 GH

Could this be the problem? I don't know what could be causing the GH to rise in the tank. I have a few plants and a fake plastic decorative bit of wood.

Any ideas and advice please?

Lyn

I have Java Moss on Lava Rock - could that be an issue?

 

[lynhagan]

And Seachem Flourite (Red) substrate

 

[Essjay]

Something is increasing the hardness. I don't know if the red fluorite does - Seachem's website doesn't say. Lava rock might.

You could try testing the substrate - take two tubs of water and add some of the substrate to one of them (if there's none left over, take some from the tank and wash it before adding to the tub). Leave them to stand for a few days, then test both tubs for GH, KH and pH. Any difference is due to the substrate.