Aquarium pH, GH, and KH for BEGINNERS
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ส.ค. 2024
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Find out what pH, GH, and KH mean, when you should test for them, and how to change their levels.
🛒 Buy Plants, Lights, Food, Chemicals, and more from our online store: aquariumcoop.com/
🌱 Want in-depth articles on freshwater aquariums? Visit our blog: aquariumcoop.c...
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📖 RESOURCES
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The Fish Keeper’s Guide to pH, GH, and KH - www.aquariumco...
Nutrient Deficiencies: Why Your Aquarium Plants Are Dying - www.aquariumco...
🛒 MATERIALS
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pH test kit: www.aquariumco...
GH and KH test kit: www.aquariumco...
Crushed coral for extra minerals: www.aquariumco...
Wonder Shell mineral supplement: www.aquariumco...
Seachem Equilibrium mineral supplement: www.aquariumco...
WHO WE ARE
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At Aquarium Co-Op, we focus on your aquariums. We specialize in freshwater tropical fish, aquatic plants, and the overall betterment of the freshwater fish keeping hobby. Our goal is to help you with your first pet fish and graduate you to an advanced aquarium hobbyist. If you'd like to take it to the next level, subscribe to Aquarium Co-Op and check out our weekly videos.
Cory McElroy is employed by Aquarium Co-Op LLC. He also owns Aquarium Co-Op LLC. Therefore, all content is sponsored by Aquarium Co-Op.
0:00 Why aquarium water chemistry matters
0:59 Overview of pH
3:40 Overview of KH
6:12 Overview of GH
8:50 How to raise or lower pH, KH, and GH
#Aquariumcoop #Aquariumfish #Fishtank
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*Want to know why we didn't mention TDS meters in this video? Watch this video from Cory: **th-cam.com/video/mXGnf1gr5Pg/w-d-xo.html*
Why can’t all the videos I’m watching be like this? Nuggets of information that actually matter, structured, and no unnecessary ads. Thanks aquarium coop
you should watch her channel, every video is like this! its girl talks fish
Alot of experience fish ppl or how ever theyre called try to give you lectures about everything. Not everyone was born knowing everything about aquariums appreciate videos like this one
@@angelpineda7646 its ppm not ppl
@@bones1026 Agreed! I've been in the hobby for years and still watch her (and the other aquarium co-op) videos a lot. So much information that is beyond helpful.
They have mastered fish, the TH-cam algorithm, and most importantly building relationships! They think of their audience, and the rest flows.
I finally understand kh and gh. So many unexplained shrimp deaths are now explained. I was told at the lfs i had "hard water" when i told them I'm on well water, but i was confused because i had to buy water softener. It also explains why the gH kit didnt go from orange to green, and was just a very very light green after 1 drop...and why veteran plants look poopy after being in my tank for so long. Thannnnnnk youuuuuuuuu
So glad you found it helpful!
I have the same results when I test with the kit too. Water changing tint after one drop. My snails are really struggling with their shell development. What did you do to raise the levels?
@@nikkihays2971 i started buying wonder shells on the regular as i read they raise hardness. Crushed coral also dissolves slowly and increases water hardness
Oof... Home wellwater softeners can sometimes replace some calcium with sodium. I deal with that somewhat, so I probably should get a calcium test... just to get an idea of how much calcium is still actually calcium.
I cannot thank you guys enough for this beginners guide videos you bring to us, these videos have helped me towards successfully keeping my first aquarium without having any fish dying because I got correct water parameters from following these vids.
I love these videos Irene, you always put information in a very simple way. thanks!
My pleasure! Thanks for watching. :)
@@GirlTalksFish so adding crushed coral raises kh?
Am I the only one that had no clue what to do
Irene, thanks. Learning about all this can be daunting for beginners like me. It's too easy to misinterpret the readings and panic. I was intrigued to see you get the same colours for pH tests that I've been getting. I was worried it was to high. It's great to hear your advice and know I can be much more comfortable that my fish should be fine (which they are).
My pleasure! Yeah, at first I was so confused about having high pH with soft water, but I've learned to cope with it. :)
You're the only one that actually showed how to use the tests. Thanks a lot, my GH is 1! I was confused cause the test instantly turned green.
I've needed this a long time and I keep everything from shrimp and guppies to a reef tank. And still didn't know some of this. Thanks aquarium co-op helping all parts of the hobby!
Yay, I'm glad this helped!
One mistake I've made withe the Master API Test kit is neglecting to rinse the test tube and cap thoroughly enough between tests. The pH tests seem particularly sensitive to the other chemicals in the same kit, so if you don't rinse thoroughly before using it you'll get bizarre results. The cap has a kind of groove in it so I now always make sure to rinse that recess out thoroughly.
Very true! Thanks for the tip.
Drop tests are usually innacurate anyways
Hands down, this is my favorite aquarium and aqua-culture channel. Thank you for the excellent and helpful tips that are expertly presented. Well done in every respect.
Love that Irene is getting more involved over here! Great video!
Bravo! Where have you been this whole time? Darn TH-cam finally suggests this video... Thank you for content, it will save many lives.
😁
Irene, you're killing it with these videos. Keep up the great work.
Awww, thank you so much for the encouragement!
This video helped me, I'm going through the whole gh kh ph debacle right now with my planted aquarium.
This deserves a follow up video of how to dose acid and alkaline buffers to get the PH GH KH you need for your planted aquarium~!
The transitions, overlays and clear audio make your videos very watchable.
Thank you for linking your article.
KH and GH has been my last topic to tackle for my water, thanks for explaining this!
Thank you Irene for explaining these tests. This video has really helped me understand what pH, GH and KH are and how I can monitor levels. I am new to keeping Aquarium fish and this video and your other videos have helped me become more aware of doing the right things for my fish. Thanks again!
Great videos every time, I come here, I am never disappointed, thank you 🙏
Whuaaat?? A Gamer's Wife with the co-op now?? I thought youtube was glitching when i saw her in the co-op thumbnail. I haven't watched fish keeping channels for a few months now so this is really surprising.
Hehe, I started working for Aquarium Co-Op last year, but just recently started making videos for this channel. Enjoy!
We are new to keeping an aquarium and have found this tutorial fantastic , why can't everyone explain things in such an easy way so new comers understand absolutely brilliant video many thanks
I have a tip for you, Irene (and anyone else who can find this useful). If you feel like it is a hassle to repeatedly cap the small test tube to test KH and GH, you can use the measuring glass sold at Aquarium coop (or the ones you get with medicines [just make sure it's clean]), fill it up with 5 mL tank water, and spin around the glass each time you add a drop. I find that much easier than adding the one drop, capping the tube, inverting, and repeating the process.
Great tip! I'm so going to try this.
Love 💘 the simple and plain language to understand all the water parameters..so glad I 😊 watched 👀 this video, because I'm a beginner and love my underwater world of plants 🪴 and fish 🐟 ❤ 😀 Thank you!!!
I literally have the same problem in my 29 gallon and every plant I put in there even my water wisteria would die. After testing recently I found that my ph was very very high and my hardness was at 0 ppm, even though I occasionally fertilize the tank. Thanks for literally making my life easier lol
this is all i need. so informative, thank you!!!!
I really appreciate your videos. I could cry in frustration.
My girl is out here doing the lord's work 🙌
My tip for the test strips (other than the one about cutting in half :) My colors/printing on the label was always wearing off or getting wet. I open up the label to the chart you want, then seal/cover it open with clear packaging tape. Keeps me from fumbling with it with one hand and keeps it from wearing off. Great video as always, Irene, from a fellow Coloradan :)
Ooo, good tip!
Once again Irene kills it with a great video with helpful information! Thanks Irene! I just moved across my state and have different water parameters and needed to refresh my knowledge on these three.
6:33 Like how some of these fish are chilling upside down.
Irene is a great presenter and I love the way she gets on with it.
Thank you so much for this video! I’m getting Betta and I’ve been doing so much research and all the videos and articles I’ve read mention these but never explain. This helped so much, thank you
You are such an excellent teacher of information. Thank you! Your common sense, your direct info, your real world experiences...U.U.U. are simply appreciated for your excellence. ✌🏼🙏🏼🖖🏼🌞🐠
Found out late last year I've been living with ADHD all my life. I appreciate shorter videos like this one. I may have mentioned it a while ago. I understand Gh and Kh much better. This is the third time I watch this video 📹 . THX
Thanks! This video eases my mind, when I first started my aquarium the ph was 8 maybe a shade higher. I kept adding ph lowering solution and didn’t get much of a change at all, the next morning it would nearly the same. Then I did a kh and gh test and found my water to be 140 gh and 240 kh. I’m in the process of doing 20% changes every other day with RO water. I’m on a well and I just want to lower it slightly. Mine is a 40 gallon community tank with tetra and some corydora.
My plants are doing poorly I have been fertilizing 2x week. When I tried to do a bit more for added growth (didn't work) the nitrite levels went out the top. Darn near killed my fish. And my snails are doing poorly. But if I add calcium it will affect my ph. I have a consistent 7.4 or so PH. So the information about the calcium/magnesium ratio is a blessing and ph helps. Thank you for sharing
I had to pause the video while i was half way through because i couldn't continue without subscribing and hitting the like. Amazing work,perfect instructional video,LOVED IT
Great video! Always heard to measure these, but never really understood what they should be and what to do with the rest results.
I love you 😍, oh and your videos too! Seriously good info, easily explained. 😬
I just wanted to come back to this video and say thanks i re-watch it a lot. I also have been calling shrimp shimp for a long while now.
Oh My God! I have been looking for how to use API's GH & KH kit for weeks. This video has never shown up in any search. I just now found it by accident 😄. Thank you so much!
Watched this a few weeks ago, but I wanted to pop back and let you know how helpful this was to me. After years of keeping fish but unsuccessful live bearer keeping despite crushed coral (& 4 months of unsuccessful guppy breeding - what?), this video finally convinced me to attack my GH/KH with the appropriate test kit and Equilibrium. Turns out my tap GH is
Best explanation and tutorial around! Right now I don't keep anything too difficult... kind of like you explained in the beginning, but I have gotten into planted tanks! So far so good with everything...but, as I grow in my hobby these are the kind of things I'm learning so I can do a little more specialty fish keeping eventually! Always thanks Irene for the time you take making your videos. I hope you have a wonderful day! 🙏🤗🌿🐟🌿
At 03:27 I have those also and it's extremely frustrating that those fold-outs stick together and then tear off the Alkalinity and pH lower image, making them no longer useful. I wish they simply included a separate card for this purpose. If there is a separate card, I would definitely purchase that.
Thank you! This stuff has been driving me crazy trying to figure out. You explained it so well
This is a great vid. One aquarium group online told me to not worry about my super low gh/kh water, there's nothing I can really do about it. Not true at all, Thanks Co-Op
This is so much easier to understand than other people's videos on the topic.
I really enjoyed this. I got the info I was looking for, and you have a great presence on the camera and your voice is well modulated. Thank you!!
My water is pretty high on pH from tap and my bulb plants melted as well, especially aponogeton. My fish and shrimp, however, are doing well. I did not want to change the water parameters and starting to use hardier plants as well. It is hard to grow beautiful green plants without extra co2 or chemicals.
Your videos are always so well done in presenting info we need.
I absolutely love your idea of cutting the strips in half! Will be using this thank uou
Awesome video! Thank you for breaking down the information into better detail! Curious to know what type of fish the little blue ones were in the community tank displayed in the beginning of the video at 0:19? Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Thank you so much. I had just placed my wonder shell in my aquarium I purchased from aquarium co-op and watched this video and knew I was on the right track! My snails, shrimp, fish, and plants thank you
I enjoy a lot of Irene’s videos, but this is by far the best one!!!!!!!! 🙏 Thank you very much, sweetie!
Thank you for posting this I’m a pretty new aquarium owner and new at the whole water parameters so GH and KH were a bit of a mind boggler for me 😳
It’s funny, when I started my first aquarium just over two months ago it was the fish I loved and obviously why I decided to get into the aquarium hobby but now I’m finding I’m more into the plant growing side of things and am happy just to have some shrimp and a small school of neon tetra in a planted aquarium.
I didn’t really know about the calcium and magnesium thing for the plants (not that there’s really anything wrong with mine) but I’m glade I do now.
Ph isn't a huge thing in freshwater unless it's a rarer species or more fragile then others, in which you will definitely know as thw buyer would absolutely tell you
Seller
Irene is so incredibly informative, truly. This was an excellent video, would love to see more like this! : )
That was such a helpful video: organized, informative, clear, well presented, and interesting. I live in San Francisco, and our water comes from Hetchy Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite NP. As a recently learned through my fish keeping here, our water is very soft, and has an extremely low KH. My plants seem to be thriving here, but I am concerned about the PH crash that you mentioned. The two snails that I purchased after my fish tank completed it's cycling both died after two weeks. I also lost one molly. My other molly has been thriving for over a month, and all of my other fish seem to be healthy too. I recently added rainbow fish, and the store owner told me that I might want to add some SEAchem chemicals to avoid a ph crash. He told me that rainbows do better in higher ph water. I did some research and found your video, so today I ordered some crushed coral from Aquarium Co op that I will be adding to my filter. I hope that this raises my kh a bit, but I don't want to change things too much, since all of my plants and other fish seem to be doing very well. Suggestions?
This is one of your best instructional videos on a confusing subject. Your work is often involved, this one is well done and I appreciate your work, especially here!
your actually a life saver
Irene, you are an outstanding teacher. Every time. Just wanted to give you a shout-out.
That was really helpful! I'm gonna be testing and getting my water right for the fishes and plants 😀
Best video I’ve found talking about this topic! - especially the conversion to ppm (which is how my test strips measure) Thanks!!
Great video Irene! I learned a LOT. Again. Greatly appreciated!
This subject is not discussed enough & super important.
P.S. I love that Aquarium Co-Op and Girl Talks Fish are collaborating!
Haha, I actually work for Cory now so I'm glad he thinks my videos are good enough for the Aquarium Co-Op channel. :)
@@GirlTalksFish Wow that's the dream job! You're both amazing & helped me a lot especially starting out in the hobby.
It makes all the difference to have a talented teacher.
Very well edited!
Very informational!
Very Nice!
thank you soo much for this awesome video, think I'm going to get some of the tetra test strips. the way you explain is so helpful and satisfying, thanks
My pleasure! Glad it helped.
My plants have been looking sickly for weeks, I knew my GH and KH have been low the whole time but I didn't know that could cause plants to die. I was going to get a fertilizer so I'm glad I watched this video. Adding crushed coral to my filter medium asap
I live this channel so much. Thank you for all the information and being the best type of teachers! Love you
I love the idea about cutting them in half wow, and im glad you mention you use both kits as I do have both since figured to have a backup to verify results and for the hardness would help.
Irene’s my favorite & I’m hella stoked very time you make a video, gorgeous 🤗 thank you so so much x
Thank you for a wonderfully informative video while keeping it easy to understand. This has been a topic I have been struggling with, but not anymore. Thank you.
This is the best explanation of gh and Kh that I've seen - thank you💕👍
Just threw one of the best tips in sly af. Cutting the test strips down the middle to get double the test strips is legit insane. Simplest tip of all time but save you money like you would not believe.
Love this video. I just received my GH and KH api kit test today!
You made that so straightforward and easy to understand! Thank you.
This fixed literally all my problems my KH is zero my GH is off the charts and my pH is as low as it can go plants have been dying and fish getting sick but now hopefully this will fix all.
your hair is so cute here! it really is amazing for your face (brings out features. idk how else to say)
Cory was such a fan of girl talks fish aka a gamers wifes channel that he hijacked her hahaha
😂😂
Lol!
Cory hijacked Irene 😭😂🤣
Wait which Cory?
Awesome explanation! Subscribed. My fishes lives are now in your hands.
Irene, you do an amazing job at explaining these details in a way that is very easy for newcomers to understand. Thanks!
Thank you so much as I am researching about how to raise some Blue dream shrimp and the explanation of ph gh and kh levels are really helpful thank you !
Another great video Irene ❤️🐠🐟
Thank you for all the info, it really really helps a lot when trying to understand all of this
Well done. Got my test kit today.
I used all the testing strip and solutions that you mentioned. I have a pH and GH problem. My Betta is showing signs and so are some of my plants. I have so many more questions.
Great video, you should redo to add the CO-op test strips!
Thank you. That was very helpful 🙂
Wow. Great vid. I now don't have to worry about high GH. It is always around 150-200 using AquaCooP test. Even with the nitrate, I thought it was time for water change when it hits around 40plus but with the test strip instruction it is around 100ppm.
I know it's an old video, but thank you so much for this! I just got into making my own planted tank and thinking of keeping shrimps, but I noticed that my water is very soft to the point where it gets to 0 GH on the test strips I use. I am changing the water pretty regularly, so I think my water here is just soft. At least now I know I have options to supplement my plants and future shrimps.
Thank you for your video I kept losing my guppies after losing 2 and another one sick I checked the water and had no carbonate so now I realise how checking the water is important
3:10 absolutely genius! I'm going to do this with my test strips!
Thank you for your help and easy to understand H2O property explanations.
Bless you for making these beginner videos. Very helpful to send to my friends!!
Samee!! Just like you... but definitely need seachem equilibrium... getting it delivered tomorrow!!!💯😎 my plants literally show no other symptoms or sign other than calcium deficiency.. they look like orange color a bit brownish.. so saw others pictures its definitely low calcium and aside my water is a bit soft than what it needs to be for mollies..
Ita at about 7 to 8 GH i need at at least 12 13 GH plus those plant minerals
i think the topic of low pH buffers should be included in this conversation as well. and i dont think anyone has done that one yet.
I always find your videos so helpful. Thank you!
This is the most helpful video in this subject I have found THANK YOU!
Wow! That was so informative and to the point! Thank you so much for this video, it was truly helpful in understanding those perimeters.
Another essential video. Love your videos, great to see you on Aquarium Co-Op too!
Very nicely done. Not a subject the average fish keeper has any familiarity with. Thanks!