Okay oh helpers of the pond knowledge infirmed. I bought some strips
today and got a few more guesses at some new numbers. My afternoon ph
was once again good - 7.8/8.0. My Alkalinity reading was between 120
and 200 ppm (hard to discern those shades of green). My hardness, as
expected is hard I would say about 250 ppm. Ammonia, Nitrates,
Nitrites all 0. My morning was once again off the scale at bright
violet. My only logical conclusion is stating to be that I am off the
scale acidic (which seems worse) and not alkaline. I dont know my
color progressions. My scale starts at 7.4 which is kinda harvest
gold, moves higher ph to rust brown, dark brown, light magenta, darker
magenta. I am using an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Sal****er test kit.
I was told this would measure fine. Sal****er test on fresh will
work, but not the other way around. Their freshwater only went up to
about 7.4. The new strips I got would tend to confirm that since they
do measure Nitrate, Nitrite and ph as the same. Any suggestions? - I
am so afraid I am hurting my little fishez, but I am also afraid of
trying to adjust when its not called for. My first bloom I panicked
and was ready to drain the pond, scrub the bottom and start over. 15
days later (with experienced assurances, with a little algae fix
followed by couple of bags of cornmeal my water is clear - yippie .
Thanxx
Bill Brister - Austin, Texas