Can’t figure out what’s going on

[Phillip]

I can’t figure out these water parameters. I have a 40 gallon container pond in the backyard. I initially filled it it from the hose. It’s been getting rain water about once a week or so when it rains. 
 

my tap water is around 7 pH and 220 hardness.  I sampled it today and the pH is around 3.5 and hardness around 450. I have  an Apistogramma trio, one piece of driftwood, some water lettuce, a couple Indian almond leaves and apisto caves. I can’t for the life of me figure out the ph and hardness!!!

[Wrencher_Scott]

pH 3.5? No way. 

Acid rain? lol

[Phillip]

On 6/3/2022 at 11:24 PM, Wrencher_Scott said:

pH 3.5? No way. 

Acid rain? lol

That’s what I said! I used a couple different testing methods to verify too. I don’t get it. 

[Wrencher_Scott]

On 6/3/2022 at 10:06 PM, Phillip said:

That’s what I said! I used a couple different testing methods to verify too. I don’t get it. 

I can tell you do not trust test strips, API liquid yes. 

Does the rain water run over anything like your roof or ???

3.5 seems impossible! 

Edited June 4, 2022 by Wrencher_Scott

[nabokovfan87]

That is a thread I would check out just for information purposes.

For your situation, there's a few things we need to narrow down.

1. What is your KH, GH, PH out of the tap?
2. What is your KH, GH, PH after the sample is aerated with an airstone for 24 hours?
3. Is there enough aeration in your pond?
4. What is your KH, GH, and PH in your pond currently.

Set a container outside, if it rains again, go out the next morning and test the rain water.

[Phillip]

On 6/4/2022 at 12:19 AM, Wrencher_Scott said:

I can tell you do not trust test strips, API liquid yes. 

Does the rain water run over anything like your roof or ???

3.5 seems impossible! 

I agree it seems impossible! That’s why I triple checked. I used AC test strips, API liquid test and a digital meter. Are were low. The test strip and only go to 6 I believe. My digital meter went to 3.5. I checked it and it was reading pretty close. I have a 7ph liquid and it read 6.94. 
 

I'm stumped. Maybe the tote is leaching some crap out??? I can’t explain the extra harness either. 
 

It’s next to my shed so the rain should pretty much go straight in. 

[Phillip]

On 6/4/2022 at 12:24 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

That is a thread I would check out just for information purposes.

For your situation, there's a few things we need to narrow down.

1. What is your KH, GH, PH out of the tap?
2. What is your KH, GH, PH after the sample is aerated with an airstone for 24 hours?
3. Is there enough aeration in your pond?
4. What is your KH, GH, and PH in your pond currently.

Set a container outside, if it rains again, go out the next morning and test the rain water.

I’ll check out the thread. 
 

1. tap kh 7, GH 161, ph 7.2

2. I’ve never done that before. I’ll try it and see what I get. 
 

3. I have 2 sponge filters in it. It was chocked full with water lettuce that I thinned out today. 
 

4. ph 3.5. I measured tds with a meter and got 450. I’ll use GH and kh test kits in the morning. 

On 6/4/2022 at 12:24 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

That is a thread I would check out just for information purposes.

I’ve actually seen that thread before. I was having the exact same issue with the chlorine! I was stumped on that too lol. Ponds are kicking my butt this year 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Wrencher_Scott]

On 6/3/2022 at 10:42 PM, Phillip said:

I’ll check out the thread. 
 

1. tap kh 7, GH 161, ph 7.2

2. I’ve never done that before. I’ll try it and see what I get. 
 

3. I have 2 sponge filters in it. It was chocked full with water lettuce that I thinned out today. 
 

4. ph 3.5. I measured tds with a meter and got 450. I’ll use GH and kh test kits in the morning. 

I would go by  the API test (liquid) for pH

Sounds like you really don't have a problem, not with your tap water anyway. No worries I think. 

Everyone gets hung up on kh and gh but why? The bottom line really is pH and any fish are good with any within reason. 

Are your Apisto's sick? 

Post up the API liquid results for us, in your case use the low pH test one I suppose.  lol  

 

 

 

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/3/2022 at 10:42 PM, Phillip said:

I’ve actually seen that thread before. I was having the exact same issue with the chlorine! I was stumped on that too lol. Ponds are kicking my butt this year 🤷🏻‍♂️

When I first read the OP I literally thought there was just "a lot of stuff" in the bottom of the pond and it was lowering the PH.  I don't think you're having KH issues, which is good, so now we just need to really understand what the PH really is.

The rain may have been very low in KH/GH and caused a crash. It also could've just been low in PH in general and that with the tannins in the water caused it to drop pretty heavily as well.  I don't think it would've caused it to drop to 3.5, but especially with the liquids they could be expired, seperated, or something random causing an error.  I trust the ACO and tetra test strips pretty much as equal or better than I do liquid because it's always been accurate for me and doesn't result in as much user error.

[Phillip]

On 6/4/2022 at 12:58 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

When I first read the OP I literally thought there was just "a lot of stuff" in the bottom of the pond and it was lowering the PH.  I don't think you're having KH issues, which is good, so now we just need to really understand what the PH really is.

The rain may have been very low in KH/GH and caused a crash. It also could've just been low in PH in general and that with the tannins in the water caused it to drop pretty heavily as well.  I don't think it would've caused it to drop to 3.5, but especially with the liquids they could be expired, seperated, or something random causing an error.  I trust the ACO and tetra test strips pretty much as equal or better than I do liquid because it's always been accurate for me and doesn't result in as much user error.

According to Aquarium coop test strips:

Tap: nitrate 0, nitrite 0, hardness 300, kh 180/300(hard to tell), ph 7.2

pond: nitrate 10, nitrite 0, hardness 300, kh 0, ph lower than 6.4(it was yellow, not even orange)

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/3/2022 at 11:15 PM, Phillip said:

According to Aquarium coop test strips:

Tap: nitrate 0, nitrite 0, hardness 300, kh 180/300(hard to tell), ph 7.2

pond: nitrate 10, nitrite 0, hardness 300, kh 0, ph lower than 6.4(it was yellow, not even orange)

KH is 0 in the pond?  If you want to, post a pic of the KH on the scale for comparison sake so we can see! 🙂

(I mean the 180 vs. 300 KH one)

[Phillip]

On 6/4/2022 at 1:16 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

KH is 0 in the pond?  If you want to, post a pic of the KH on the scale for comparison sake so we can see! 🙂

(I mean the 180 vs. 300 KH one)

Yes pond is zero kh. I assume because it’s been getting rain water?? I posted on the forum my concerns for no kh the other day and I was told it was ok with apistos. 

On 6/4/2022 at 1:23 AM, Phillip said:

Yes pond is zero kh. I assume because it’s been getting rain water?? I posted on the forum my concerns for no kh the other day and I was told it was ok with apistos. 

Here is the ponds test strip:

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/3/2022 at 11:23 PM, Phillip said:

PH points to being low in what I'm seeing.

PH ~6.3-6.5
KH/GH seem to be off to the scale on the right, dramatically so.  I don't think I've ever seen KH that high.  The pads are somewhat dried out.  It was a question I had asked here.  An interesting point of discussion.
 

 

[Phillip]

On 6/4/2022 at 1:33 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

PH points to being low in what I'm seeing.

PH ~6.3-6.5
KH/GH seem to be off to the scale on the right, dramatically so.  I don't think I've ever seen KH that high.  The pads are somewhat dried out.  It was a question I had asked here.  An interesting point of discussion.
 

 

Wow I like the idea of the grey scale and different colors!  

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/3/2022 at 11:44 PM, Phillip said:

Wow I like the idea of the grey scale and different colors!

I swear, I am trying to read some complex cipher sometimes when I get my strip tests results some days.  LOL