# New test kit for my shrimp tank-need help :)



## ShrimpieLove (Apr 26, 2010)

Hi everyone! 
So My new test kit arrived today, the API freshwater master test kit, and I also got the API gh and kh kit
Testing my 15 gallon tank-First time testing my water myself, so there may be that I made some errors, i found the color chart sort of hard to tell as far as colors, but this is what I got:
Tap water ph 7.6

Ph test: 7.6
High ph range test: 7.4
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate between 20-40 ppm(found this one hard to judge the color)

Kh 4-5 dkh
Gh 8 dkh

Does this sound normal? Anything that should be adjusted? I dont know much about kh/gh so is my water considered hard or soft? This tank up until a week ago or so had fish in it but now is going to be shrimp...


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## arc (Mar 11, 2010)

The colour chart is really hard to read sometimes. Best to read it in daylight white (6500k ish) florescent light.

I live downtown near the Danforth area and the PH/KH/GH numbers are in the range I get when I test. I would consider it mildly hard and Cherry/Ghost shrimp seem to breed well in it. I get Crystals to breed as well but no offspring seem to survive over a week.

That's my experience at least.


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## ShrimpieLove (Apr 26, 2010)

My cherries seem to breed fine in it as well  i am planning on putting oebts in this tank, from what I read and have been told they prefer softer water but can also handle harder water as well... 
When someone asks what the hardness of my tank water is, which reading do I look at- kh or gh? 
Its strange though- the last time i had my water tested they said my ph was around 7-about 2 weeks ago so im wondering why it rose...
Is it better to WC once a week -or twice a week- does it affect the ph/gh/kh is u WC less often?


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