The Puffer Forum

i started a new tank....& tested the water....total alkalinity comes up to undesirable...its at 40KH....

any suggestions on how to improve it. everything else is GOOD.

Are you using dip strips? And is that number ppm (parts per million) or degrees of hardness?

Whether your alkalinity is good or not really depends on what kind of fish you're keeping, and even then it often doesn't matter, as long as it's stable.

What's your tap water? What's the SG?

What's your tap water? What's the SG? pH?

yeah its ppm. i have GSP's & Figure 8's.

i used Tetra: Easy Strips-so yes testing strips.

1.008 SG...

i use filtered water....o.O

ditch the strips go for liquid. also, what kind of filtered water? RO/DI or just a brita? are you testing for marine or FW? I think @ 1.008 you should be using FW tests.

Unless there is something terribly wrong with your tap water, that's what I suggest you use for BW. Get yourself a good liquid test kit, like API.