Testing Water Hardness-Tuesday Tip

Understanding your water can help you make better livestock choices and have more success both keeping and breeding fish. Tuesday's tip on testing water hardness shows how easy it is to get a little information and attempts to explain why hardness is important in a freshwater aquarium.
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[@bigsky445]

I LOVE THIS WOMAN! SHE IS BRILLIANT! My go-to channel! Thank you Rachel! ❤

[@DaggyGuins]

I am just learning about GH & KH now. Trying to get it right for my Peppermint Bristlenose Catfish. I have found your information informative & helpful. Plus I appreciate the way you get the message across. Thank you.

[@sbwetherbe]

Thanks Rachael. You're the best! Always very practical information well explained.

[@1014p]

I’m glad I rolled across your video, this explanation will make sense.

[@SevernRunAquatics]

Sweet video Rachel!

[@gladboy7722]

love this video very good info...would really like to see mors vids on,or about water chemistry...thank you Rachel...

[@TheAussiebloke87]

Very good video. Thank you for posting

[@emmitstewart1921]

When you go out to collect rocks for your aquarium, take along a dropper bottle filled with muriatic acid. I use a toilet bowl cleaner, but your local pool supply store or hardware store has bottles of pure muriatic. There are lots of glacial rocks in my area, and some of them are limestone, so when I find a rock I like, I put a drop of muriatic on it. If it fizzes, I put it back where i found it. Make sure to rinse off the muriatic as soon as possible. By the way, grey color is not a very good indicator of limestone. Many calcite or dolomite rocks are quite colorful, so test any rock with acid before putting it in your aquarium. (Calcite is Calcium carbonate, Dolomite is Magnesium carbonate . Limestone is a mixture of these, but may also have inclusions of pyrite [fools gold], fluorite and other minerals.) It is also a good idea to carry a clean spray bottle of water, and wet the rock thoroughly before collecting it. Dry rocks look totally different from wet rocks. There is a lot of glacial granite in my area which looks pale pink when dry, but is a soft brown color when wet. Wetting also shows up the quartz and feldspar crystals in these rocks. Often a rock which looks quite drab when dry looks awesome when wet and a rock which looks awesome when dry looks drab when wet. (Actually, I like drab rather than colorful rocks in an aquarium. I want my visitors to look at my fish and plants rather than my rocks. For the same reason, I like muted colors in my background.)

[@shelley294]

Helpful! Thanks for posting!

[@EYECPEOPLE]

Great information just what i needed 😊

[@FishBehindGlass]

Another great Tuesday tip.

[@nunya___]

Thanks so much for explaining that. Also loud buzz. A body mic would be awesome but I can hear you in all your videos. Love your channel! ♥

[@eugeniovazquez7444]

Nice video! Can't wait to you make a video on TDS (Total Dissolve Solids)

[@damionmarkham9835]

you rock ,Ms jinkzd

[@najkstory5380]

great tips there Rachel! :)

[@narrateanewtunnel2352]

Rachel, you explain things SO WELL!! Thank you for this Tuesday tip! And would love to see you do a TDS video, maybe then, I will understand it...LOL

[@RoyalCrab]

+Laura Wrenn I second the TDS video!

[@ivoryqueen7000]

Great info.

[@robertsevo840]

great info thanks

[@ligaskirbauska8652]

TY so much for this information! Please teach me all I need to know about fish ,water,hobby... Cos I just understood what you where talking about better than from teacher in school! LOL ... and I realize Im awful with chemistry...so keep teaching us-if not who will do it? More than nothing our dear fish needs it ;)

[@ladywarrior1775]

Thank you! Amazon Reviews make this test harder than it is...… I'm getting this test kit today to see mainly the calcium and stuff is in my guppy tank. Again ty so much. API is my choice of testing too!

[@lusean193]

love if you do a vid on preparing RO/DI water for the aquarium thanks Rachel

[@kellyo8718]

Rachel, I struggle with low kH generally 1 or 2 drops and pH 7 that drops dramatically from my tap my gH is generally 14. How can I lower the gH while raising the kH? I've had to use massive amounts of crushed coral but trying to have a more dark water tank and the ability to use Catapa leaves ofy needed without plunging the pH and crashing my cycle. What's your advice? Love your videos. Thanks for any help.

[@mitch9946]

Very informal video! So if were too add API salt into my aged water, it increases the KH then?

[@Ginger_Dad]

Hi Rachel, I have trouble with my plant growth and was told it was due to my KH & GH levels. I have tested for both of these however my results are usually inconclusive as I give up on the drops before it changes. I've been told this is most likely due to the water softener we have hooked up to all the water in our house. I was recommended to use R/O right which i guess was designed for people with water softeners. Its been a week since my last water change and decided I was going to test for it before and after the water change. Before the change I just gave up as both were over 15 drops with no change in color. Turns out nothing changed after doing the water change and adding the recommended amount of R/O right. While it doesn't show a change in the KH & GH I have noticed a little better growth in my plants but nothing to much. I'm wanting to get some new plants in this tank and make it look nice as I've had it for over a year and have thrown over $300 at it which for a 20G seems to be alot. I'm pretty much out of ideas on what I can do with this tank and am getting tired throwing money at it with no results...

[@blackmambaestelo]

i have some question with this test.. what if the required GH or KH of the livestock didnt match the GH or KH in my Tank, what should i do...?

[@coasttech]

oldie but a goodie!

[@lorinadyess7832]

Thank you Rachel you rock. I am really struggling with my mystery snails I just got a tester my KH was six my GH is nine I am having big issues with them they are dying from holes in their shell the shells are deteriorating I’m not sure what to do would you please make a video on the complete care of mystery snails I love them so much and I’m losing them. Especially the water parameters And how to possibly correct bad water parameters. Also I am using shrimp king shrimp salt GH +\ Kh+ It creates a pH of approximately 7 to 7.5 and it increases total hardness and carbonate hardness but they still seem to be deteriorating I feed them calcium in zucchini plus eggshells. I just don’t know what to do anymore please help

[@drivingschool11]

pleasure for this movie!...but I dont understand the API conversion chart.

[@mrsnow2277]

+Rachel O'leary Hi, I have a 20 gallon long planted tank. I noticed that my monte carlo is growing slow and some of them gets burnt for some odd reason. I figured that monte carlos required KH is 1 - 2. My current KH is 4 - 5, using the same test kit. What's the best alternatives to reduce KH?

[@matt79hz]

Hi.. I'm getting reading of 0gh out of the tap. For a broad range of tetra species, should I be adding minerals? Any suggestions welcome. Kh is 3 out of tap.

[@rbo350]

Rachel this is the first time I saw a fish keeper test in person for kh and gh most people just through out a number but don't say how they got that number, watching you I can see its not a number on a chart but the number of drops you put in the api test kit, I am trying to breed c.r.s. but my tds is 400, my ammonia is very low, nitrite is zero, my nitrate is very low and my ph it 7.5, gh is neutral as is my kh, I will get this test kit and slowly exchange my water for ro water with a gh+ to get in the ball park for crs

[@sschario60]

You had me at meniscus.

[@williamsnyder1424]

When you test gh and kh, do you count your first drop, or do you start with your second drop? I heard that the first drop was regent drop. ty

[@conman20000]

So, if my tanks parameters aren't right for said fish, should I change the GH and KH right away or is that something that has to be done gradually as is done for PH? On that note I know some fish are raised in different water parameters then they would live in the wild, so which water would I want to simulate for them?

[@Loafy23]

+Rachel O'leary, Could you do a video or series of videos on substrates? I'm particularly interested in substrates used for planted tanks. In the past I've used everything from plain aquarium gravel to specialized plant substrates to organic potting soil and I'd like to get your input on the various types. Keep up the great work, Rachel!

[@RachelOLeary]

+Sarkazmo Loafy I can do tips on the ones that I have used, but not going to deceive you by claiming to be an expert on them. I use what I get, have, or find around and have not tried a lot of product lines, as I generally keep things very simple for my planted tanks.

[@Emeri666]

Rach can you do a video on what GH and KH should be on a cichild tank? Ive been told numerous numerous times and different opinions on what cichilds should be in GH and KH my water is no where near a ph of 8, my PH out of my Tap of a PH of 7.5. My cichild tank now is at a Kh of 14 and GH 14. And ive got breeding going on like crazy lol i do add buffers PH buffers and Cichild lake salts.

[@kg2nc]

Great video Rachel. Have you test for any of thee other parameters like Ammonia/Nitrite/nitrates.

[@RachelOLeary]

+Ruben The tank was basically empty until last week. I use a multistage filtration (sediment and UV) on my source water, so don't generally register any of those. I generally just test TDS and Hardness. As I started adding a few fish (12 total in a 150g, and they are under 2" fish), I did put an ammonia alert in, but I would be absolutely shocked if that caused any sort of cycle with the volume of the tank and the amount of plants. When I am ready to stock "real" quantities of fish, I will open up the canister and put in cycled media from my 220g primitive tank. Those fish crap lincoln logs, so it should be an excellent way to seed for future inhabitants and minimize/erase any cycling issues. I am probably still a few weeks away from that, as I am doing a 3 month minimum qt on all critters to go into this tank- its expensive as hell to potentially treat a 150g tank and is worth doing the long QT.

[@wickedcreationsmidsouth5602]

You might could do a tip on how to plant stems. mine keep coming up and becomes frustrating even in deep substrate. I use sand so thats prob why.

[@DiZBrad11]

Would a TDS meter be a good method of testing my water for the fertilizing that I am doing in my tank? or for GH and KH?

[@danielrichards5827]

i need help. i have a blue gourami that is about 3-4 inches that will be moving into a new 36 gallon sand substrate planted tank. could i put a juvenile rainbow shark with the gourami? any suggestions on other tank mates?

[@TheSeverum]

what does it mean if you test your gh and it turn green with 2 drops? and my kh isn't on the test kit?

[@juliebrown1510]

I don't understand what the numbers supposed to be at with Mollies, Platies, and Gumpy fish? Any idea would be awsome.

[@HybridHerps]

its been a while since I looked at my pH, GH, and KH and really wrote things down and kept track correctly, but remind me, in a co2 injected tank I know that the pH often swings around a bit depending on the concentration of co2 in the tank at the given time of testing right, but that swinging is generally considered livable since it has to do with how the carbon itself interact with the hardness and how the extra hydrogen atoms are making the water more acidic... I'm basically forgetting my chemistry and tbh its been so long since I've really needed to look that I kinda let it slip my mind, but I've been wanting to get better with it since I've been trying to (and having success with) some softer water plants and cardinia species (although my source breeds his in just regular old tap water with a lot less TLC than most people recommend for crystal reds so...there's that I guess lol)

[@lesliesmith7312]

I love this topic! I'd really love some tips on how to change your water parameters if they're not right for the fish you want to keep. My PH is 7.5 my KH and GH are super high. When I filled my new tank up to check for leaks the water came out a cloudy pale yellow that turned green after an hour or so. I'm wondering if I should cut it with RO water or if I should just use RO and remineralize it.

[@RachelOLeary]

+Leslie Smith I will likely be getting some wild bettas or licorice gourami at some point, and will address it then. I would be tempted to at least cut your water with RO

[@lesliesmith7312]

+Rachel O'leary Thanks Rachel! Your so on top of things with your channel! :)

[@RichsFishes]

You mentioned an ideal KH of 5 or above. Is that ideal simply because of what you're seeing out of the tap so it matches the tank?

[@RachelOLeary]

+Rich's Fishes GREAT question, and I am glad you pointed that out. Under 5, hardness can be a bit unstable. This can lead to pH swings and changes in the overall chemistry of the tank that is REALLY uncomfortable for the critters. Generally speaking, if you have a kh of 5, normal water changes (even huge ones) won't cause a massive swing of parameters, stressing the fish. If you have source water with lesser kH, and are not buffering, often smaller, more frequent water changes are best for maintenance.

[@RichsFishes]

+Rachel O'leary interesting. I've never heard this before. I have pretty soft water out of the tap (both gh and kh about 2 to 3). I keep discus and do daily water changes of 50%-ad much as 90% daily and seem to keep pretty stable parameters (honestly don't measure the gh and kh of the tanks very often though). is it just ph swings you tend to see with large water changes and the lower hardness values?

[@RachelOLeary]

With daily water changes, you don't have to worry about shifts in parameters really. Weekly, or bi-weekly (or even less frequent) large water changes, when other dissolved organics have a chance to build up, would be when you would see potential issue.

[@RichsFishes]

+Rachel O'leary gotcha. makes a lot of sense. If I ever find the time I'll have to do some testing on my other tanks to see if I get any swings when going longer between waterchanges.

[@scottconstable5214]

Hi regarding the GH my source water is very high how can i lower this in my aquarium to a suitable level?

[@SUPRspyctaco]

it's fun to go back and view some of your older content. thank you for your dedication to teaching #neverstoplearning

[@DnASnakes]

It took me a while to figure out I had a kh problem. Luckily I was fishless cycling. I am on AZ well water and I have a very high GH but a super low KH out of the tap. My question is, is there something I can use to keep kh up in normal ranges. I have been using baking soda. I know you are very busy, thanks for your time.

[@mujahidhaliru810]

seashealls.

[@matthewodea3295]

hi Rachel iv a seguesion for a Tuesday tip as I had problems befor with this and theres hardly any information about it when trying to find and beleave I'm not the oney one who d love to know, I keep a lot of scaless fish in my main tank including clown loachs corydonias bulldog plec and hoplos catfish a few months back I noticed that my ram chiclid and one or 2 albenio corys wouid some times flash n scratch them selfs along the gravel I looked at them in great detailall over they body n gills throw the glass and couidnt see any thing on them I read about skin flukes n I was 95% sure that's what it was so I bought waterlife sterazin its to treat that but I never used it in case I ended up killing them I know there sensitive fish on the bottle it says treats gill and body flukes with causes flickering and scraping also treats internal worms it has acriflvine 340mg/l malachite green 545mg/l pierazine citrate 2040mg/l also contains formaldehyde as a stabiliser theres 2 ofthem ingerdents I'm not sure about the malachite green and formaldehyde it oney says do not use containing crustaceans echinoderms,rays,seawater sharks,piranha,stugeon,sterlets or related species it says half dose shouid be use with sensitive species so I'm thinking it souid be ok to use with all my fish at half dose I'm just not wanting to put it in and lose fish its a big risk I love all my fish and they cost me a lot thankfully my fish no longer scrape and when they did it was oney now n again but tees no info on what types o mds not to use I readcopper based meds can kill corys n loachs now formalihyde is a copper based one sure of it, iv been pretty lucky with out breaks iv oney had white spot once in the12 to 15 months iv been keeping fish but when I had ick I treated tank with protozin from waterlife at hhalf dose ad never lost a cory at that time I oney had fish with scales and 2 peppered corys.sorry this has been long but I think this wouid be a geat Tuesday tip

[@rbo350]

Thanks Rachel for another great vid....I live in Los Angeles and my tap water PH=7.8, GH=300, KH=250, I want to start a cherry shrimp tank how can I lower my hard water

[@martybrowning6702]

Depending on if you want chemicals or not...I have a water softener behind my house that hooks I to my plumbing.. dont know how it works

[@DanielGonzalez-nt4ew]

Hello Rachel, greetings from Spain!. Whats your opinion about the test strips to test gh, ph and kh?

[@RachelOLeary]

+Daniel Gonzalez I think they are better than nothing, but not as accurate as the liquid kits. They also generally read in PPM (parts per million) rather than the German degrees. To interpret this, you can divide the PPM by 17.9

[@MrRuud109]

My KH out of the tap is over 20, what should I do? Dilute 50% with RO?

[@romanzabaznov]

What are best GH and KH for discus tank?

[@lauraroberts8741]

I live in an area where the water hardness for both scales is off the charts, and my betta is being such a trooper but he's 3 years old now and I'm not sure how well he can continue to deal with that. Any suggestions? I've tried buying gallons of spring water from the store and it hasn't helped.

[@katebattista7400]

Dilute with distilled water until your gH is where you want it. But if the fish is not I'll I wouldn't mess with it.

[@erick6102]

Rachel, are you doing a fishless cycle to ready your tank, and if so can you go through your process?

[@RachelOLeary]

+Eric K I am seeding the tank with media I have put into my 220g monster fish tank. Those guys poop (literally) lincoln logs, so I should be good to go for nitrifying bacteria.

[@erxkeel]

+Rachel O'leary ROFL.. Lincoln logs.... That "shit" was funny.

[@incubatork]

kh says blue to yellow on my api test kit not blue to green, gh is orange to green, maybe they changed the cchemicals in the bottles.

[@greenis3006]

Same here. I have 3 different brands of tests all this way.

[@ashurgeorge4604]

I have the same results as you but my ph is 8... i have no clue how to get it down while sustaining good gh kh

[@martybrowning6702]

So I have had everything from fresh to saltwater.. my ph from tap is 8.0.. perfect for salt.. I also leave my ph alone for freshwater.. everything runs great...never had a issue..but figured I would check my hardness.. well.. after 80 drops.. never changed green! It's a new kit.. but the kit has to be wrong right? I do know I have a water softer outside.. but needs filters... so shut it down... before I had fish.. I check it again... I stopped at 20 drops.

[@ImmortalCrabman]

What hardness are you testing kH or gH? I am having a hard time seeing the switch for gH and I think that my gH may just be 0.

[@martybrowning6702]

Gh.. it's the test stuff.. I tried it on bottle water

[@teddybonkers3580]

Mine doesn't turn blue like that, water from my tap with one drop turns Probably a 95% opaque blue and one drop turns it green but again 95% opaque green. What's the deal? My towns water is a natural rain filled lake. It's less than a mile from the ocean so there's no minerals really. Is it just so devoid that it's not measurable by this test? I bought seachem equilibrium. This might explain why my guppies don't grow and my shrimp have moulting problems regularly and mystery snails coil smooth. I got the equilibrium today and added 40g worth to my 40g stocktank water change reservoir and am waiting a couple hours before I test that water see if it's different

[@tolmiepheasants8079]

Teddy Bonkers It means your kh is 2 , it turns yellow, not green

[@josemontalvo4532]

Is crushing Egg Shells to a powder with a mortar and Pistil a option to provide Calcium into the tank?

[@RachelOLeary]

yes, but its a messy one

[@alinatotok]

Dear Rachel. I don't know what to do with my GH it is very hi 12 drops. ;{

[@AdelardRen]

They make products to lower the GH. The instructions call it "Api water softening pillow." But if you look up aquarium water softeners I'm sure you'll find more options.

[@mariomedina1319]

i have some rocks that i got out of my backyard and i broke it apart can i put it in my fish tank??

[@RachelOLeary]

+Mario Medina Depends on what they are, really. I chose the rocks I did by making sure they didn't have any pockets of fools gold, and then have been testing the hardness to see if they are inert or not. Some rocks are safer than others, and googling what is in your area should help you to know what is likely to be found in your back yard.

[@alissatyau849]

I still don't understand this. What are we measuring the tap water or the tank water? My PH tap is good, around 7 something but not when it comes from my tank it's around 5 or 6! My other tanks that are truly cycled though, their PH is around 7 something too. When I am counting the drops, what do they mean? If KH and GH drops are low what does it mean, and if it takes 13 drops what does that mean? So confused 🤪🤪🤪

[@shortnanxious6088]

Well great now that's just another test kit, I don't have, lol. ... I predict I will be ordering more test in my near future. lol

[@RachelOLeary]

+ShortNanxious this one is cheap, at least!

[@shortnanxious6088]

That always helps... I have bought pool test kits, before realizing that most of the kit wasn't even needed. Lol. I will have to go back on some of these videos and take down notes on alot of this stuff. I figure you're probably a good source since you deal with alot of the small wild caught fish.

[@thehoxhaistbodhisattva7967]

So, one drop is a degree? Love API but their insrtuctions on this kit are weak.

[@RachelOLeary]

There is a chart that gives the conversion

[@Bluniu]

kh-3 drops gh-5 drops so what this mean?

[@techmantra4521]

My tap water starts at a pH of 7.4 and goes right up? to 8.2 or so if left out overnight... I literally have no idea what to do. We have hard water here. Any suggestions anyone?

[@katelillo1932]

TechMantra I know this post is a couple months old, but it is normal for pH to rise when water is exposed to air. This is the reason many fish keepers use “aged water” to refill their aquariums. There are products on the market to raise or lower pH in aquariums if your tap water doesn’t suit the species you keep.

[@aseemgeorgenelson3767]

Mam plz make a video on crayfish plz

[@trileaf828]

Number 800 on the likes 👍

[@aseemgeorgenelson3767]

Mam you are Best I wish I got a chance to work with you

[@LazyAssReefer]

What you said is wrong, the test is complete when the solution turns bright yellow. It's in the instructions.

[@josephpinkston7101]

Nice video but man its kind of a tease because I can see the fish swimming in the new tank. Man can't wait to see them lol

[@RachelOLeary]

+Joseph Pinkston haha, I have some Tanichthys albonubes in there as well as some Sewellia SEW03. Not a whole lot yet, but testing the waters (pardon the pun) before I start adding fishes I may or may not be able to get easily again.

[@josephpinkston7101]

+Rachel O'leary Both very cool fish love the way the white clouds look and the sewellia are just so unique. Iol like the pun and hope they make and give the all clear.

[@mikejohe1920]

Why just buy a ph meter and a ppm meter it save you alot of time and then you will be spot on

[@BrentoftheUTube]

another person to add to my list of jerks because their tap water is so amazing, yeah i'm talking to you Rachel, you can go on the list with Mr. Wong. Mine is 700TDS with 150ppm of Sodium, I have to buy RO and go from there.

[@RachelOLeary]

+BrentoftheUTube I really lucked out. My TDS out of tap is 100. I am SO glad I don't have to use RO, as I have a well, and with how many tanks I am running could not justify the waste water. I do have an RO/DI unit sitting in a box collecting dust in my fishroom though.

[@heaven7360]

all I wanted is to have a betta fish. Now after buying an aquarium, plants, gravel, heater, a GFCI, expensive filter, expensive stand...I realize I have to learn water chemistry......WHY DID I DO THIS?

[@teddybonkers3580]

By the way you'd think this would come with the 'master' test kit. Not a very "master" test kit is it.

[@fkujakedmyname]

test rocks first with muriatic acid if it fizzes its bad for aquariums

[@eugeniovazquez7444]

Nice video! Can't wait to you make a video on TDS (Total Dissolve Solids)