# Need some advice on water for a new tank



## lemon-aid jay (Jan 24, 2013)

I am in the process of setting up my 230 gallon African tank. The tank is at our new house with well water. I am wondering what you all think about the numbers I have for PH,GH and KH. This is straight out of the tap. PH is 8.7 GH 3 drops so 60 and KH is 45 drops so 450?? :-? (tested two times) . Wondering what you think and what if anything I should do to adjust it.

Thanks for any help 
Jay


----------



## lemon-aid jay (Jan 24, 2013)

Another thing that might need some attention. Phosphate 0.25


----------



## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

To get proper measurements, you need to let the water stand for 24 hours. Did you do this?


----------



## lemon-aid jay (Jan 24, 2013)

Fogelhund said:


> To get proper measurements, you need to let the water stand for 24 hours. Did you do this?


OK I will retest tomorrow or the next day and report back.


----------



## lemon-aid jay (Jan 24, 2013)

Re tested. Ph 8.7 gh 4 drops = 80 kh 50 drops = 500 ????


----------



## lemon-aid jay (Jan 24, 2013)

My city water that is in my tank now (water change two days ago ) is PH 7.6 GH 15drops = 300 KH 4 drops =40 . I am hoping to move my fish to the farm this Friday so any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciate.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I's add a little baking soda to get the KH up to maybe 7 drops. That will help your pH to stop bouncing between 8.7 and 7.6. You don't want to fluctuate more than 0.2 on the pH, but the KH is the way to stabilize it.

See the Water Chemistry articles in the Library for formulas.


----------



## lemon-aid jay (Jan 24, 2013)

My ph is not bouncing between 8.7 and 7.6 thoses numbers are from to diferant water supplies. I have read the water chemistry article its a great reed. I am moving my fish from the lower ph water to the higher ph water. I have started to add baking soda to raise my lower PH hope I don't kill my fish.


----------



## lemon-aid jay (Jan 24, 2013)

How soon can I add more baking soda ??? Should it be once every 24 hours or is that to fast ? I have move the lower ph from 7.6 to 7.8 from last night.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

7.8 is good for pH. What is your KH though...that is the important thing. Maybe you don't have to add any more at all.


----------



## lemon-aid jay (Jan 24, 2013)

I think there is a miss understanding I am moving about 60 fish. From the house with the lower ph to the farm with the well water and higher ph. I have lost 2 fish since last night when I raise the ph from 7.6 to 7.8 with baking soda. Need help here don't want to kill any more fish trying to adjust them to the well water please help.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

A change of .2 over a period of 24 hours should not have killed your fish. Anything else change recently?

Your new location has a pH of 8.7?

I'd wait a couple days and if the fish are OK try just increasing .1 over 24 hours.

Still need to know what the KH is in your tank after adding the baking soda. You will want to adjust it in the new house to make it a little higher.


----------



## lemon-aid jay (Jan 24, 2013)

Kh after the baking soda went to 15 drops.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

That may be the problem more than the pH.

I'd go very slowly from here. Also you will want to add baking soda to your well water...just enough to get the KH up around 7 drops. And then check the pH afterwards...hopefully it will not go up too much if at all.


----------



## lemon-aid jay (Jan 24, 2013)

Kh in the well water is super high 50 drops. This is my worry and why I added baking soda to the tank the fish are in now.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

OK, so keep going but go slower.


----------



## Yael (Nov 25, 2012)

Rift lake fish should take a shift to higher Kh fairly well since their physiology is built for the higher mineral content but what you want to do is add calcium carbonate to your home tank gradually to bring it to your farm water values.

Here's what I'd do - I'd bring some (a lot) of the farm water home and replace some of your home tank water with it every day - enough to raise the pH by the recommended ~.1 in a 24 hr period. The calcium in your farm water will tend to increase both Kh and pH at the same time but it's not going to raise the pH linearly so you'll have to experiment with how much to add to get the desired shift over time. You probably won't have to mess with the baking soda if you do it this way.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Problem is the farm water has a KH of 3 which is not high enough.


----------



## Yael (Nov 25, 2012)

DJ, you've misread the numbers - the farm water has the very very high KH - read back over the op's posts. His well is high in calcium carbonate which is pretty typical of ground water where he lives. It's his city water that has the low KH and pH. He's heading in the right direction for his fish.


----------

