I just checked the PH and alkilinity on a couple of my ponds. One is black and looks like tannin water but no oaks were flooded. I suspect flooded grasses. I checked the PH but only had a swimming pool test strip kit. It showed less than the guage on the side of the package tested. Don't know if this is accurate or not. I checked alkilinity with my HACH kit and it took 9 drops of acid to turn the right color. That's an alkilinity level of 153. No fish activity but no shortage of tadpoles.
Next I went to my bigger, normal pond. PH showed, with the same strips, to be 6.8 and the alkilinity also 153 with the HACH. Lots of fish and good looking water.
I've always heard that swimming pool test strips were inaccurate on alkilinity but how about PH?
Should I buy a special PH test kit? If so, what kind? Is there anything I ought to know that I'm not asking? Anybody run into blackened water from flooded grasses?
