Water Parameters + New Tank Concern

[Mercfh]

So I have a new 29Gallon Tank. It seems to be cycled as ammonia and nitrite are staying at zero (Although nitrate isn't going up much, but I have a lot of plants)

However im having trouble figuring out what my PH/GH/KH are (Im using Tetra strips + API Master + KH/GH tests)

 

Attached are pictures. Here are the results of the API dropper test:

 

KH - 5 drops (So 89.5 ppm)

GH - 10 drops (So 179 ppm) (Which seems to match the tetra kit)

So overall it seems like my parameters are:

• PH - 7.8-ish? (Weirdly the PH out of the tap is like.....8.4 or something)
• KH -80-90ish (I Think, the tetra kit had the KH edges turning blue...but API test confirms around 90-ish)
• GH - Probably between 150-200?

 

overall are these ok parameters? These were tested in my aquarium 1 day after a water change. The ph out of the tap is way higher for some reason? (Not sure why). I have plants and driftwood in my aquarium.

 

My main concern is of course for my fish:

1. 2 Pleco's (I think zebra or striped pleco, they said they were bristlenose but I don't think so)
2. 6 peppered corys
3. 4 guppies
4. 2 nerite snails

 

Also suggestions for tankmates? or am I maxed out?

 

EDIT: 1 note, I use prime to dechlorinate....but it almost likes like the total chlorine is slightly off white....maybe just the lighting? I even usually slightly OVER dose the prime so I can't imagine there would be any chlorine?

[Miranda Marie]

None of these perimeters look at all concerning. They seem pretty standard and most fish (barring very sensitive species) will do just fine in them.

Also, driftwood will lower pH, so that's the reason your tank water is softer than your tap water.

[face]

The ph thing is common it’s normal because the co2 (carbon dioxide)in the water out of your tap isn’t the same as in open air higher Co2 will decrease ph lower co2 will increase ph my tap is at like 8 and drops to 6.6  is after equalizing some water company’s do this on purpose so decrease pipe erosion I wouldn’t worry to much about it in my opinion the plants will also change the amount of co2 adding yet another layer 

If you want to know the ph out of the tap without anything else just put some water in a bucket and stir it periodically throughout the day (or use a extra pump if your feeling fancy lol) test ph the next day and that will be the truth ph of your water 

as for the kh the edge of strip type tests sometimes change colour because water drips on them from the other pads changing the result if both say 80 mostly it’s probably 80

and the chlorine test, if you really want to see, just put some water in a bucket triple quadruple, the dosage of prime. See if you still get anything but personally, I wouldn’t worry about it you can give yourself a headache squinting at colours with these test kits lol

and if you throw up a picture of the bristle nose or not someone can identify it im sure 

Edited January 2 by face

[Galabar]

To me, that looks like very good water for a wide variety of fish (especially livebearers).

[Mercfh]

Pictures of the 2. Can't quite tell what they are. Also does my tank seem appropriately stocked? or overstocked

 

Also does my pH seem to match what I thought? (Based off the API color kit) It's hard to tell but it looks around 7.8

Edited January 2 by Mercfh

[Tlindsey]

On 1/1/2024 at 10:00 PM, Mercfh said:

Pictures of the 2. Can't quite tell what they are. Also does my tank seem appropriately stocked? or overstocked

 

Also does my pH seem to match what I thought? (Based off the API color kit) It's hard to tell but it looks around 7.8

@Mercfh Yes looks like 7.8 to me. Not overstocked imo. When you're fish start growing and the guppies start to breed that will increase your bioload. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 1/1/2024 at 7:00 PM, Mercfh said:

Welcome @Mercfh, beautiful plecos!

 

 

On 1/1/2024 at 3:28 PM, Mercfh said:

PH - 7.8-ish? (Weirdly the PH out of the tap is like.....8.4 or something)

A lot of people would tell you to not worry as much about pH.  Essentially, KH is tied to your pH value.  I'll link the blog article below that expands on this, but it's a very fun and interesting research aspect of the hobby.  As your tank builds up, KH drops, which in turn destabilizes your pH!  This does not mean that the drop you're experiencing has anything to do with the KH value being too low, in fact, you're pretty good on that front.  What you're experiencing is something called off-gassing. As the water comes out of the line it "stabilizes" to a normal value.  You can double check this by running a test where you take water from the tap and aerate it for 24 hours, then test your PH, KH, and GH.  You'll get values and those would be indicative of what your tank should test at when you're doing proper maintenance.  Those would be the parameters you want to select some fish for.

https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/ph-gh-kh

On 1/1/2024 at 3:28 PM, Mercfh said:

You can always do a sanity check by running the low pH test.  It is a bit weird being in that 7.0-8.0 range with how the high range and low range PH tests are setup.  Anytime I'm in the low 7's I run the lower pH test to get a better understanding of high or low 7's.