GH/KH results

Finally got the API GH/KH test kit and I am a little worried about the results. KH took 13 drops and GH took 20 drops. Both of these are off the chart listed for converting to ppm and are higher than recommended for even Marine hardness levels, let alone the freshwater fish and plants that I have.

Do I need to work on lowering these immediately or will my fish be fine with what I got?

 

KH - Anything over 5dKh is fine and good There are no limits for KH, just minimums since it effects the stability of your PH.

GH - Your dGh of 20 does show you have hard water at 358ppm (300 is considered very hard). If your fish are doing fine I would not worry about it, if anything I would think the hard water deposits would be bothering you.

Do you have a water softener in your house so you can just mix the two 50/50? There is always R/O but again if your fish are doing good, I'd do nothing.

 

KH - Anything over 5dKh is fine and good There are no limits for KH, just minimums since it effects the stability of your PH.

GH - Your dGh of 20 does show you have hard water at 358ppm (300 is considered very hard). If your fish are doing fine I would not worry about it, if anything I would think the hard water deposits would be bothering you.

Do you have a water softener in your house so you can just mix the two 50/50? There is always R/O but again if your fish are doing good, I'd do nothing.

Actually there aren't any noticeable hard water deposits anywhere which I find to be odd. I know the KH stabilizes your pH, but since my pH is 8.2 I wasn't surprised at the high KH number. No, we don't have a water softener and I plan on an RO/DI unit in the future when money is flowing a little more easily lol. I don't do top-offs, just weekly water changes, even sometimes Ill do 2 in a week just cause.

I did have a long string of mysterious deaths a few months ago, but in the last 2-3 months I haven't had any. Most of my fish naturally live in much softer and more acidic water than what I have. I know its usually better to leave things alone and let them adapt, but I can't help but think the water parameters were a factor in some of them.

Do you think that this level of hardness is affecting my plants and why they aren't growing as fast as other people have reported?

I guess I should have went with African Cichlids when I first got this tank, I wouldn't have any issues then! hahaha

 

Hard to say on the plants, could be though. Someone else will have to chime in. If your lights and fertilizer are adequate then maybe that could be why. Are you using Excel or similar also?

 

Yep. They are growing, just very slowly compared to expectations and reports of others. The lights, ferts (tabs and liquid) and liquid co2 are all as they should be.