Amyers22 Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 Those of you who use these products what is the GH testing at? What are you using to test it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyeGuy411 Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 I dont test GH but I mix my remineralizer at 2/3 strength. If I did test it I use the API test and it comes out around 4-6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amyers22 Posted August 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 I use the API test kit and mine is coming out at an 8 which is too high. So for every 4 gallons you do one pump of the alpha and one pump of the beta instead of one pump of each for every 2 gallons? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyeGuy411 Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 I usually mix four gallons or water at a time in a 5g bucket. So I add 4g of water 3.78L x 4 = 15.12L then I add .19mL per L so 15.12L x .19mL = 2.87mL of remineralizer So I round a little bit so for four gallons of RO I add 2.9mL of Alpha and Beta. Gives me a TDS around 120 and a GH about 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amyers22 Posted August 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 Have you noticed any issues with your shrimp molting or baby survival? My shrimp have only been molting half their body or they molt fully and then die. This hasn't happened to all of them, but I have lost 13 in 17 days and almost all my babies. On my next water change will lessen the amount of minerlizer and see if this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ch3fb0yrdee Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 Long long long time ago, I wrote about how SD’s mineralizers will show values of +2dgH when using the API kits. This is true when you test the salts and other liquid mineralizers. When I test with Hanna Instruments, I get roughly 5.71 – 6.11dGH. I’m at work currently, but I can dig up the original post when I’m home. Anywhose, I’ve just learned to trust what the Hanna Instruments tests tells me. I’ve since switched over all my testing equipment to Hanna brand. Ratio is pretty straight forward when dosing the minerals. 1mL of AlfaΒ per 1gallon (3.78L of water if you want to be technical) of water will give you 6dGH. I don’t use the pumps when administering my dosages because I’m a bit OCD and need to know exactly what is going in my RODI but if memory serves, each single pump of is equal to ~2mL of solution. So, you’d need to perform 2 pumps of Alfa and Beta each when dosing 4gals of water. I used to include disposable pipettes when shipping out the orders with the Bianco products but have since stopped as I’ve ran out. Notice how I've removed the pump and replaced the Bianco mineralizers with caps. I always dose using a pipette because the pump can give +\- solution depending on last usage. Residual solution will throw off the total solution going into the rodi water. Not a big deal but again I'm OCD and it bothers me. RyeGuy411 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amyers22 Posted August 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 I use a syringe to measure my mineralizers and put in exactly 2mL for every 2 gallons. I've just had a large number of deaths and no baby survival. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyeGuy411 Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 The problem is probably not the remineralizer, after talking with SD about this months ago, I was using a smaller than recommended tank size and I was overdosing the Vivace and Minerals. That caused my GH to rise and I had baby death issues as well. I now very carefully measure my Vivace and Minerals and have had no issues since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amyers22 Posted August 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 I've been measuring both of those pretty carefully. It's hard to measure exact with the small spoon, but I do the best estimation that I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyeGuy411 Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 I use something like these to measure the powders. http://www.rosesci.com/Products/products.php?search_go=Ladles,%20laboratory%20aids Amyers22 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesHe Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 I use jewelry digital scale with resolution of 0.001 gram. http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Weigh-GEM20-Precision-Milligram/dp/B00ESHDGOI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1441059568&sr=8-4&keywords=jewelry+scale It never fails me. Just cut piece of Aluminum foil and put on the scale. Amyers22 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mayphly Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 I posted about this awhile ago after Shrimpfan brought it to my attention. Here's the link. My test results are Post #26. I've stuck with the API test and GH of 5 for this tank and I finally got my first berried shrimp. Amyers22 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amyers22 Posted September 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 I posted about this awhile ago after Shrimpfan brought it to my attention. Here's the link. My test results are Post #26. I've stuck with the API test and GH of 5 for this tank and I finally got my first berried shrimp. Thank you That is helpful info! I'm going to stick with my API test kit and gradually lower my GH over the next month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpy Daddy Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 I posted about this awhile ago after Shrimpfan brought it to my attention. Here's the link. My test results are Post #26. I've stuck with the API test and GH of 5 for this tank and I finally got my first berried shrimp. For your test, did you accounted for the how long each of the test kit has been opened and also how long they are close to expiry date? Many people never realise that the GH test kit sold by aquarium brands will easily deteriorate over time, especially after open. One very simple visual test to see wether the GH test kit is not accurate anymore is by looking at the colour of the test chemical. If the test kit is from yellow to green. The test liquid should look very green and not yellowish green. Once it become slightly yellowish green, it will be not accurate and the test result will give you high GH. Similarly with those red to blue liquid. If the test liquid looks purplish, the result will not be accurate. pictokid1983 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpy Daddy Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 Regarding moulting, many people feels that high GH will cause thick shell to grow and shrimp can't moult. This believe is due to people think that shrimp will moult the entire shell. However, shrimp only moult a thin outer layer. If you want to know in scientific term, please read this article: http://www.aquaculture.ugent.be/Education/coursematerial/online%20courses/shrimp-cd/bio/moultb.htm Therefore, the saying of thick shell is harder to moult is incorrect. They are moulting and not peeling away the entire shell like we are eating the shrimp. The process of moulting involves re-absorb the exoskeleton, releasing of moulting hormones to dislocate the old exoskeleton, produce a new exoskeleton and soften the outer layer. By looking at this, it is a complex process that requires very healthy body, and sufficient stored nutrients and energy. Here are the common causes of moulting problem: Die because of the body does not produce enough hormones to induce the moult - The shrimp is unhealthy or malnutrition; Shell is sticked to the body during the moult - The shrimp is unhealthy or malnutrition to produce enough moulting hormones and/ or produce the new exoskeleton below the old one; Shrimp dies after moulting - The shrimp does not have the new exoskeleton produced properly under the old one before moulting. End up, the shrimp does not have a functional exoskeleton. Imagine a human suffer an 100% osteoporosis, definitely he/ she can't live for more than an hour. Looking at above, it is all voice down the shrimp has not been healthy (or having enough nutrients) and causing moulting to have problem. This problem will extrapolated when they are changing environment, such as when you buy new shrimp, the shrimp changes tank or you perform a water restart. There is also another interesting fact about how people look at moulting problem. Most people will only look at why shrimp die during moult but never look at why their other shrimps are moulting well, especially those shrimps that moult well has even thicker and nicer shell. If we change our angle to analyse why those shrimps are doing well instead of looking at those shrimps are doing bad, you will fully understand the important of shrimp health and not thinking of "thick" shell. nicpapa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mayphly Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 For your test, did you accounted for the how long each of the test kit has been opened and also how long they are close to expiry date? Many people never realise that the GH test kit sold by aquarium brands will easily deteriorate over time, especially after open. One very simple visual test to see wether the GH test kit is not accurate anymore is by looking at the colour of the test chemical. If the test kit is from yellow to green. The test liquid should look very green and not yellowish green. Once it become slightly yellowish green, it will be not accurate and the test result will give you high GH. Similarly with those red to blue liquid. If the test liquid looks purplish, the result will not be accurate. both kits were new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpy Daddy Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 both kits were new. Expiry date? Recently someone I know went to by a new set of Tetra GH test kit. He look at expiry date and is 1 year later. When you went back and test, the test chemical is yellowish green instead of green. End up, he has to throw it away. -___-" I think GH test kit is really a bummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mayphly Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 I always check the expiration dates on my test kits when I purchase them. I go through gh test kits more than any other liquid tester. What is the reason for the +/- 2 degree difference between Hanna and API? Why choose Hanna over API? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpy Daddy Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 It's the manufacturing process and the quality of the chemical they use. You can sell a crappy test kit to aquarist in order to increase profit margin. But you can't sell a crappy test kit to laboratory or field scientist. Hanna save manufacturing cost by moving the plant to Romania. Hanna has stop manufacturing that test kit you are using, and they now has a newer type that has better shelf-life. They separated out the EDTA with the indicator (CalMag): http://www.hannainst.com/usa/prods2.cfm?id=001001&ProdCode=HI%203812 mayphly 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpy Daddy Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 In case anyone curious on how I measure total hardness when I am performing experiment, here are the test kits I am using:For the designing and manufacturing products, I will do calculation based the the guaranteed chemical analysis number from each supplier. After that, they are weight based on 0.00 gram machine and made in 10L batch. This will give a very high accuracy. Which why, it is useless to measure them where I had provided such a high accuracy at the manufacturing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpy Daddy Posted September 2, 2015 Report Share Posted September 2, 2015 This is why I designed my products to have consistent dosing and don't need to measure the water parameters. Given said that, pico tank will have a challenge. Any small deviation will have great effect. This problem will happen with any product and any practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpy Daddy Posted September 6, 2015 Report Share Posted September 6, 2015 Whoever prefers to keep lower GH and would like to bump up TDS safely and cheaply, you can use Potassium Sulphate or Seachem Flourish Potassium. Bump up 10 to 15ppm of potassium should give you TDS 15 to 30. Approximately 1ml of Seachem Flourish Potassium for every 5L (1.32G) of water will give you additional 10ppm of Potassium. If you are using Shrimpy Daddy products, do not add more than 15ppm of Potassium in your new water. For other brand of products, you will have to check with the reseller/ manufacturer. Shrimple minded 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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