Water testing poll...

[Jimmy Gibson]

When I am particularly worried about it, or want to make sure..... I take pictures of it with my iPhone., back light, front light, flash on, under incandescent, and so on. Then take a consensus

 

[JamieB]

There should be a book of pond info for newbies. What to test, when to test, how to fix the issue . But yes, I’ll be getting a test kit and test my water. Random question though, what changes the ph in pond water? Fish pee? Decaying matter?

 

[addy1]

There is a bunch of newbi pond info out there, a lot don't read it.

My ph balanced out once I got the hardness up by adding crushed oyster shells and time.

 

[MitchM]

There should be a book of pond info for newbies. What to test, when to test, how to fix the issue . But yes, I’ll be getting a test kit and test my water. Random question though, what changes the ph in pond water? Fish pee? Decaying matter?

Ph is the measurement of hydrogen ions and is affected by the respiration (breathing) of fish, plants and bacteria.
The fish pee and decaying matter is part of the nitrogen cycle, which is processed by bacteria and plants. As those bacteria and plants breathe, the PH will change.

 

[JamieB]

I always thought ph has to do with minerals is the water. Good to know. I wondered why it might change.

 

[MitchM]

Common minerals are measured with KH and GH tests.
As addy mentioned, the addition of oyster shells can raise the PH, but that is done on a case by case basis, after you know the other water test parameters.

 

[MitchM]

Here's a more complete explanation of PH in water:
http://www.fondriest.com/environmental-measurements/parameters/water-quality/ph/

 

[addy1]

Common minerals are measured with KH and GH tests.
As addy mentioned, the addition of oyster shells can raise the PH, but that is done on a case by case basis, after you know the other water test parameters.

I had to get my hardness up, with the add of the oyster shells, the growth of plants, in the bog, a year of cycling the pond, it finally stabilized. A year after we filled the pond we added fish.

 

[JamieB]

If I recall correctly, our water out here is just a bit alkaline. But it’s plenty hard! We have to do vinager through the coffee pot about every two weeks to clean the calcium scale out, and if a coffee pot lasts longer than a year, it’s amazing.

 

[koiguy1969]

https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfi...or-api-freshwater-master-test-kit-users.6439/