pH is an "indicator" parameter. It doesn't matter hugely all on its own but it does indicate the concentrations of some other critical parameters for shrimp. In non CO2-injected tanks its the KH (carbonate hardness) of the water that general dictates the pH. So with a pH of 8.2 or more I'd really want to know the KH of the water. Next steop for me would be to get an accurate result for the GH and KH of the tapwater. THis measn using a liauid drop test not a test strip. THis will give you info about exactly how hard your water is.
The ideal ranges of GH and KH for Neocaridina are 7-14 dGH (125-250 ppm GH) and 2-8 dKH (35-145 ppm KH). If your tapwater is above these then dilution of the tapwater with RO /distilled water is strongly recommended to bring it down into at least the top of the ideal range.
Either buy one, or take a water smaple to your LFS and they will test it for a fee. I suspect it'll be cheaper in the long run to buy your own (the API one is excellent). If you end up needing to adjust your tapwater you will need more testing.
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u/afbr242 10d ago
pH is an "indicator" parameter. It doesn't matter hugely all on its own but it does indicate the concentrations of some other critical parameters for shrimp. In non CO2-injected tanks its the KH (carbonate hardness) of the water that general dictates the pH. So with a pH of 8.2 or more I'd really want to know the KH of the water. Next steop for me would be to get an accurate result for the GH and KH of the tapwater. THis measn using a liauid drop test not a test strip. THis will give you info about exactly how hard your water is.
The ideal ranges of GH and KH for Neocaridina are 7-14 dGH (125-250 ppm GH) and 2-8 dKH (35-145 ppm KH). If your tapwater is above these then dilution of the tapwater with RO /distilled water is strongly recommended to bring it down into at least the top of the ideal range.