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Call my water softish with high alkalinity?
PH 8.0
KH 7
GH 5.5

thats out of the tap and it will stay like that for moths in my tank with or without frequest water changes (only know cause i put my QT tank together and ran the filter for about a month on my established tank put it on the qt and tested every day never once during the 2 months pre and post filter did anything change... and I never changed the water!)

Hi,
With the figures that you quote, Yes, you could characterize
your water that way. However, I would be suspect of your
test kit. I'd guess that you are using test strips, or
an out of date test kit.

With a pH of 8.0 I would be expecting to see a corresponding
General Hardness (GH) of at least 6 or 7 degrees, or more
commonly, higher.

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Will if you had no fish or aquitic life in the QT the water will not change, it will not cycle. The easiest way to have a QT available when you need it, is to run a in tank box filter in your other tank. when you need the QT fill it with water move the box filter over instant cycle. Also as Frank seid check the date on the test kit you have and if your using the dip stips they really are unreliable, they are effected by the humity and give false reading.

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

hmm just bought another API test kit will it have a date on it? oh oops posted that too fat I will go check my date... I have repeateds the test multiple times on my tap and kept getting the same reading... the PH alsodoesn't drop quickly in my running tanks AT ALL, but i do do very frequent water changes, so I would guess that that would keep the PH at 8.0...

alrighty i stand defeted.. how do i find the date?

Hi,
Back after a short vacation...

I believe you have to go by the "lot numbers" on each
of the bottles in the kit. I would write them and in
the note, include the title of each bottle and its lot
number.

"We" ran into this few years ago but I don't remember
and can't find the post that resulted from a similiar
letter to them.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

How do you check the lot numbers?

Edit: Found this...

Each reagent bottle has a Lot # printed
on the bottle. The last four digits are the month and year of
manufacture. Example: Lot # 28A0102. This is a pH reagent manufactured
in January of 2002. Pond Care Wide Range pH, Ammonia, High Range pH,
Nitrate, Phosphate, Copper, Calcium and GH all last for three years.
Nitrite and KH will last for four years. Freshwater pH(low range) and
Pond Care Salt Level will last for five years. I would not trust these
kits after they have expired.


Saint Paul, Minnesota USA 20g Freshwater Started June 10th 2008
-> Tank Info In Profile <-

Hi
I knew where the lot numbers were on each bottle but
as I'd said was not sure how to read them. With your
post, I see it is time or past time, to purchase a new
kit. Mine are at or just past the recommended time.
Tnx
Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--