Water Hardness

[DR.V]

I just confused which one to buy, kH water test or gH test , to measure the hardness for breeding discus ?? What would be the best hardness for breeding discus ?? Thanks

[Merrilyn]

The kH and gH kits measure two different things. The kH test kit measures carbonate hardness which helps stabilize pH in the water. A tank with very low kH will usually be acidic and prone to pH crash because of the lack of buffering agents.

The gH test kit measures calcium and magnesium. Necessary for growing bones in young fish, but a high reading is not ideal in a spawning tank.

For breeding we would aim for a range under 50 ppm, but for general discus keeping, up to 150 ppm is fine, and in some cases even higher.

If I was buying just one kit, it would be the kH test.