# TDS/GH/KH Issue



## Ryan M (25 Jan 2016)

I was hoping for some help.

I have recently set up a Dennerle nano 30, its been cycling for about 3-4 weeks now and the Nitrite is still quite high but I know that its nearing the end of the cycle. I want to have this tank as  shrimp tank but I have an issue when it comes to water chemistry, I can work the API master kit fine but I have a problem with the GH/KH and TDS readings.

My TDS meter reads..
tap water - 39ppm
tank water 350ppm

Aquarium GH/KH...
KH - 6 drops to turn
GH - 9 drops to turn

the KH/GH is what confuses me, can someone advise on these results?

aquarium PH is 6.4


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## Andy D (25 Jan 2016)

What is it you are unsure about?

What gH and kH are?


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## Ryan M (25 Jan 2016)

Sorry I maybe didn't explain properly, I know what they are and from what I can tell my water is soft but I can't understand why my tap water is so low but my tank is so high. Which would be the best way to balance out the TDS so that I could keep shrimp in the right conditions for crystal reds.


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## nicpapa (25 Jan 2016)

What substrate are u using? 
Any rocks? 
Media in filters? 
Water hardnes? gh kh ..
For crs you need 5-6 gh , 0-1 kh and ph 6.2-6.8 . 
You can get those parameters easy if you chose ada or akadama or another soil as substrate. 
Get ro , and salty shrimp mineral. to get correct water parameters.


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## Andy D (25 Jan 2016)

Ryan M said:


> I can't understand why my tap water is so low but my tank is so high.



How are you cycling the tank?

What is the set-up so far? Mainly what's in the tank?

Can you add a picture?


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## Andy D (25 Jan 2016)

Have a read of this too - http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/a-guide-to-crystal-red-shrimp.19724/


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## Ryan M (25 Jan 2016)

I'm running a small hob with mechanical and with a small carbon cartridge, I also have the Dennerle nano filter. Substrate was the one that came with it, the shrimp gravel cap with the Dennerle plant mix under it. 

I can't remember the rock but I will try and get a picture now.

I'm just letting the tank run its course with no livestock.


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## Ryan M (25 Jan 2016)

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Ryan M (25 Jan 2016)

Mind the marsilea, I got some cheap off eBay and some of the leaves have died, I need to trim them lol

After looking into this further, could to much ferts be raise the Tds?


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## darren636 (25 Jan 2016)

Any ferts will raise tds.
Full fertilisation will raise tds substantially


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## Ryan M (25 Jan 2016)

I was just using an old bottle of profito that I had. I'm looking to order one tomorrow, which fert would you recommend?

Also is there any thing that I could use to boost my nitrate part of the cycle? Ammonia is at 0


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## darren636 (25 Jan 2016)

Add ammonia, if no fish are present.


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## Ryan M (25 Jan 2016)

Okay, thanks


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## Ryan M (25 Jan 2016)

I have found dr tims ammonia but it would take ages arrives, what else could I use?


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## Ryan M (25 Jan 2016)

Sorry for all the questions, I just seen that I can use the household stuff, I will call to Homebase tomorrow.


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## darren636 (26 Jan 2016)

Ryan M said:


> Sorry for all the questions, I just seen that I can use the household stuff, I will call to Homebase tomorrow.



Home base stuff is good

Or use jeyes  kleenoff.
Get one with no additives


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## dw1305 (26 Jan 2016)

Hi all, 





Ryan M said:


> Also is there any thing that I could use to boost my nitrate part of the cycle? Ammonia is at 0


You don't need to add ammonia in a planted tank, the main reason is that you aren't reliant just on the nitrifying bacteria to oxidise ammonia. 

Have a look at <"Best way to cycle a second filter">. 

cheers Darrel


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## Ryan M (26 Jan 2016)

cheers mate.

I have had tanks before that haven't had an issue cycling.


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## dw1305 (27 Jan 2016)

Hi all,





Ryan M said:


> I have had tanks before that haven't had an issue cycling.


I'll be quite honest, I'm not a believer in the concept of a binary division between "cycled" and "non-cycled". It isn't black and white, it is all shades of grey. 

There has been a lot of recent research into ammonia oxidising microbial communities, often using DNA, and it has overwhelmingly found that a much greater range of organisms involved, and that the communities you find under conditions of higher ammonia loading are very different from those you find in established aquariums. 

A good paper is <"Aquarium Nitrification Revisited: Thaumarchaeota Are the Dominant Ammonia Oxidizers in Freshwater Aquarium Biofilters"> and Stephan Tanner's article on "aquarium biofiltration". 

I've done quite a lot of work with polluted water and realistically oxygen supply  and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) are the important  factors in biological filtration. Ammonia makes a massive contribution to the BOD bioload, but with sufficient oxygenation we can deal with huge bioloads. 

cheers Darrel


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## Ryan M (28 Jan 2016)

Thanks for you reply,  I will have a read through this now


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