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  • Specific question about Freshwater Master Test Kit

    I have one of these and it only tests the Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH regular range, and pH High range. But not the kH.

    How important is it to know that? When I am in a time crunch and want to know I use the 5 in 1 test strips, which show all 5 elements. If I see a reading that looks off, I break out the master kit. Yesterday the kH on the test strip was at moderate (80), and normally it is at ideal (120). So how can I go further to check that out. Is there another test kit I should get, or is this just not a very important thing to know?

  • #2
    Re: Specific question about Freshwater Master Test Kit

    i guess I disagree with your test strip when it comes to what are ideal conditions, that will vary with the kind of fish you have. How ofen and what percentage of water are you changing?
    GIVE NONE, TAKE NONE - BE FREE, HAVE FUN

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    • #3
      Re: Specific question about Freshwater Master Test Kit

      like obed stated it depends on what you are keeping.

      from what i have found out that some fish will do fine but will thrive better in their natural water conditions, some breed during different hardness so having the test kit to know what youre doing is handy.

      i have a master kit that does the same as yours and i went out and bought the kh-gh test kit as well to add onto it. i got the aquarium pharmaceuticals and its pretty simple yet tedious (gh-kh levels aquired by counting how many drops it takes but you must cap it and shake between each drop) but it works.
      700g Mini-Monster tank

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      • #4
        Re: Specific question about Freshwater Master Test Kit

        kH, sometimes called carbonate hardness, is derived primarily from carbonate and bicarbonate compounds in the water.  While possibly not quite as important to your fishes' immediate health, kH is important in that it is a measure of the water's ability to resist rapid/large fluctuations in pH.

        The carbonate and bicarbonate compounds act like a sponge to absorb acids introduced by fish metabolism and other naturally occurring biological processes.  If the kH is too low, your pH can drop too low and too quickly thereby stressing your fish and possibly leading to stress-related illnesses.  Your test strip's value for "Ideal", 120 ppm, is roughly equivalent to 6.7 degrees kH while 80 ppm is equal to about 4.5 degrees kH.  Most of the info I've seen suggests that a reading in the range of 4.5 to 6 is just fine for all but the most finicky species.

        If your kH drops too low it can be raised by adding sodium bicarbonate... plain 'ol baking soda.  Adding sodium bicarbonate should have minimal effect on other water parameters if added in small quantities.

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        • #5
          Re: Specific question about Freshwater Master Test Kit

          Ever since I have had an aquarium (My original 2.5g) it has always had the "ideal" setting, and that has been around 4 years. I had tetras and danios, with Algae eater.

          Now with the 55g. I have tetras, cherry barbs, danios, Oto, shrimp, zebra and clown loaches.

          I will probably get the additional kit to measure kH.

          Thanks. :)

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