Please Look At My Levels - Have I Stalled

[simonmac2]

new LFS didn't have any KH testing kit (just the multi strips)

i said i didn't think much of the strips and he agreed....

on cycling, he kind of agreed with what i was doing - so i may have found a good guy on this tiny island )

i'll use the test strips i already have to see what in points to RE kh while i try and track down someone who can ship to IoM

just ordered from aquatics online - should be here by Monday

Simon

 

[simonmac2]

levels at 6pm

ammonia 1 nitrite 0.5 ph 7.2

strip test said GH at 60-120 KH at 40-80 ph at 7.5 and nitrite/nitrate light pink ??

think i'm safe.

will watch like a hawk

Simon

 

[waterdrop]

OK, I'm going to need to be reminded of the nippers tank size here, but 1 teaspoon baking SODA is certainly a safe start.

Its going to be very good to get some calcium hardness (aka alkalinity) in there, the bacteria like that and also to be raising the pH up to the range they like (optimal for growth is 8.0 to 8.4) and remember, the other things on our recipe card now are to turn up the burner to 30C/86F and throw in a pinch of iron!

Simon, its always hard finding the KH kits, usually this is a nice little one to see how fast those web guys can make the harried FedEx man come zooming to your door (do they use helicopters to your island when you click the "overnight" box, lol? TetraTest makes a nice little KH kit I use and API also has a KH/GH one that should be fine. Once you get one, be sure to ask us how to interpret the drips!

But, I'll tell you, all that getting of the test kit and using it is really just intermediary and really you'll be ok just gradually increasing from the 1 teaspoon and watching your pH closely and trying to work it up to the 8 to 8.4 range - do this slowly over days to be sure all is mixing well and you don't overshoot.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[simonmac2]

this morning the pH was down to 6.8 (approx)

ammonia at 1 and nitirite at 1

will add 1.5 teaspoons baking SODA this evening to see any pH rise and test after an hour or so

 

[alysonpeaches]

I cant comment on the ammonia side, but when I was cycling my plants looked completely manky too. I lost some of them, but the others started to grow back from the crown with lots of new shoots after the initial die back. They now look nice. Im sure you know to remove any dead rotting bits of plant, if they are rosette type, remove the dead leaves by snapping off at the crown not by snipping. Hang in there ...