How to measure the water quality in fish tank?

[Essjay]

It's too low for the mollies as well.

The GH at 4.1 dH/74 ppm is also too low for both guppies and mollies.

 

[Caspian_Tyger]

The PH is really good for all your fish except for the guppies...
Your test results look really good

Does the ammonia look good, my girlfreind said she thought it looked a bit green?

 

[Essjay]

It's hard to tell from photos as screens don't necessarily display the true colour.

What kind of lighting did you look at the test colour under? Fluorescent lights (tubes and compact fluorescent bulbs) can give the liquid a green tinge though they don't affect the colour of the chart.

 

[Rocky998]

Try to look at the test times in diffused sunlight. It gives more accurate colors

 

[Caspian_Tyger]

Ok, I have soem fluid that can icnrease the pH ina tank.

I definitely think it's yellow. I don't see the green at all.

 

[Essjay]

Please don't add chemicals to the tank. If you want to increase things like pH and hardness, which are connected, use something like coral or limestone as decor, or a bag of crushed coral in the filter.

But the pH is fine for most of your fish. If you raise it to suit the mollies and guppies it will be too high for the other fish. There's no happy medium, I'm afraid.

 

[Caspian_Tyger]

Please don't add chemicals to the tank. If you want to increase things like pH and hardness, which are connected, use something like coral or limestone as decor, or a bag of crushed coral in the filter.

But the pH is fine for most of your fish. If you raise it to suit the mollies and guppies it will be too high for the other fish. There's no happy medium, I'm afraid.

Is there any reason yyou guys are so opposed to using chemicals to manipulate the water, or is it your personal approach?

 

[Oblio]

Is there any reason yyou guys are so opposed to using chemicals to manipulate the water, or is it your personal approach?

Fish and other fauna can directly absorb the chemicals leading to health problems or worse.

 

[Valkyrie_Lips]

Is there any reason yyou guys are so opposed to using chemicals to manipulate the water, or is it your personal approach?

There's also a huge risk of shocking (and potentially killing) the fish if you raise your pH too quickly. Overall, it's just a not a healthy or practical way to raise and stabilize pH. It is way too easy to over do it and like Oblio mentioned it's not good for the fish either.

 

[StevenF]

Is there any reason yyou guys are so opposed to using chemicals to manipulate the water, or is it your personal approach?

Adjusting PH and KH up products typically contain sodium or potassium bicarbonate. The ratio of sodium to potassium can effect the health of the fish. Too much potassium is unknown to be toxic to to fish. Sodium may not be as dangerous as potassium but it still can cause problems

For example if you use a KH up product containing potassium bicarbonate use it to reach a Kh of 6degrees (a common suggested value) for RO water you could add about 100 PPM of potassium and probably little to no sodium. If it has sodium bicarbonate you could have about 100 PPM of sodium with little to know potassium. You always should have some of each

However if you check a river most of the KH comes from calcium and magensium carbonate. Fish can handle a wide range of these element batter than sodium and potassium. However calcium and magnesium carbonate only dissolve in acidic water.

 

[Caspian_Tyger]

Now thsat I have my test kit how oftne should I perform tests?

I was thinking of performing a monthly full test and a weekly tets for nitrites?

What do you guys think?

 

[itiwhetu]

Please just look at your fish, are their Dorsal fins erect, are they swimming normally, are they eating, are they acting like a fish should act, if they are doing these things then your fish will be fine. Only test your water when your fish act strangely and don't do the things you expect your fish to do.

 

[Essjay]

In a tank which is undergoing a fish-in cycle, test every day.
Whenever more fish are added to a newly cycled tank, test every day until you are sure ammonia and nitrite are staying at zero.
After cycling, test once a week for the first month.
After that, test whenever you feel like it.

Please just look at your fish

The fish will tell you if there's something wrong. If they ever start behaving differently, test the water before doing anything else.

 

[GaryE]

Is there any reason yyou guys are so opposed to using chemicals to manipulate the water, or is it your personal approach?

@Caspian_Tyger

I've had tanks that ran for 20 years. If I had locked in to using chemicals to manipulate the conditions, it would have been a nightmare task to maintain stability. Most of the time if we chemically harden or try to soften water, we hit a mark, go "yay" and move on. The water is already reacting to the chemicals, and the next day, you could have something very different. With each water change, and they should be regular partial ones, you would have to exactly calculate the dosage to maintain your chemical mix. The next thing you know, you're living like the old "Dexter's Laboratory" cartoon.

A healthy aquarium needs to be stable, and additives create instability.

I have no fear of tested chemicals, and no illusions about natural products. You have to look at what works, and long term additives, unless you're a chemist or a lab tech, don't.