Find out what pH, GH, and KH mean, when you should test for them, and how to change their levels.
pH #
Lethargic, gasping, or frantically swimming fish could mean the pH is off. S/TIC recommends a pH of 6.8-8.5 for healthy environment for bacteria and fish.
Carbonate Hardness (KH) #
KH or carbonate alkalinity buffers against pH swings which prevents fish from getting stressed. Crushed coral and baking soda can be added to increase KH to at least 100 ppm. We use the API GH & KH test.
General Hardness (GH) #
GH refers to how hard or soft your water is. It’s an easy way to measure th e number of salts and minerals that are needed for healthy biological development.
