At my wits end with my water chemistry...... Hoping to get a sanity check

[Sleeveless]

My well water is trash. I have a salt induced softener. Water comes out of faucet as follows:

PH: 7
GH: 0
KH: 0

Tank size: 75G
Water change every 2 weeks

The hardness tests read on the first drop of solution so no hardness. I address this with wonder shells

Problem is the KH is up to 160 PPM and my PH is up to 8.8. GH is 140 ppm For a while PH held at 8.2, but added a few more live plants and for obvious reasons the PH went up to 8.8 or maybe even more. I just posted about a fish in the emergency section that died for a severe infection. I just lost another Congo tetra. A few days ago, all 4 were fine. Last night he was gone. Poof.... Gone. This is the second time this happened to a Tetra that just disappeared (always assume they die and shrimp get them). This morning a Gourami is struggling an last night a Molley was struggling. Noticed a small bit of green algae starting to grow on the glass which hasn't happened in a while so I tested the water. Ammonia and NItrite 0. Nitrate 20ppm which is what I get after 2 weeks.


I'm pretty sure the PH is the killer here. Literally. I have been trying to find mass quantities of RO in my area and called everywhere. Can't find it. So I happened to remember that Petco/Petsmart sells the preconditioned tank water, but very expensive. This seems to be my last chance at getting this buffer/ph issue under control. Anyone see any con to using (aside from cost)? I don't want the entire tank to die and I'm just trying to get into a spot that maintenance is finally a set routine and not always figuring out another issue.

Thanks all. This forum has been great for info and appreciate everyone dealing with newer fish owners like myself.

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello. A 75 gallon tank is a great size. Well water shouldn't be a problem. Do you treat it? How much water do you change at a time?

10

 

[Sleeveless]

Hello. A 75 gallon tank is a great size. Well water shouldn't be a problem. Do you treat it? How much water do you change at a time?

10

I treat with prime, but the 2 digit jump in PH is what the issue is. I did a test by pulling a faucet sample and was 7 at time of pull. 24 hours later it read 8.8 which means it could be higher since the API kit stops at 8.8 I believe. Based on my research, the off gassing of CO2 can raise it, then adding plants even more so. I typically change 20 gallons at a time. Last one I did a 40% change though because my nitrates were going higher than I was comfortable with at the end of 2 weeks.

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello again. I completely understand the importance of a steady water chemistry. This is the most important to the fish. More important than trying to maintain a particular chemistry. I don't believe a 40 percent water change is enough. If you do the math, you're still leaving 60 percent or most of the pollutants in the tank. This amount will increase before your next water change. I think removing and replacing half is optimum. So, I suggest you gradually work up to half and just do it this once a week. I have a 75 gallon tank and change half the water weekly. A trace of nitrate in the water isn't all that bad if you keep the level at no more than 40 ppm (parts per million) for starters. Lower is always a little bit better, but you can deal with that later. Two things will help reach a steady water chemistry. Not feeding as much, say a little variety of flakes, freeze dried and even a little frozen every other day. And, you can't have a lot of fish. A lot of fish, no matter the size, contributes to poor water conditions.

10

 

[Magnum Man]

I was in the same boat, with extremely alkaline water... I ended up adding a dedicated RO filter, as I have multiple tanks... I've had great water since using RO

 

[Sleeveless]

I was in the same boat, with extremely alkaline water... I ended up adding a dedicated RO filter, as I have multiple tanks... I've had great water since using RO

I have an RO system that runs to a 4 gallon tank, but will take days to fill doing it that way. I'm hoping doing 10/10g with the Fritz preconditioned tank water and tap over a few water changes will dilute enough to eventually lower the PH enough to be in a safe range. The inconsistency is what's getting me. I'm thinking of weekly water changes with the 10/10 until the PH stabilizes and then back to 2 week intervals.

 

[Uberhoust]

From what I can tell you will either need to up your RO water production capabilities or switch to maintaining a hard water tank. I mix water for my small shrimp tank but even that is a pain. If you go the route of pre-conditioned water for a 75 gallon tank you are looking at purchasing a lot of water, in addition to a lot more water handling. If you go the route of a hard water tank or get an RO solution you can use your own water. Note you should be pulling your water before it goes through the water softening unit.

 

[Magnum Man]

while I agree with Uberhoust... I would have had to run a line clear across the house to feed my RO un softener water... so they do work with house softened water... but, it probably plugs the filters quicker??? my unit said to change the filters every 6 months... mine is like at 4-5 months old right now, & it's taking about 1/3 longer to fill my collection barrel

 

[AJ356]

I'd get rid of that water softener gadget, unless it's been specifically designed with aquariums in mind.

 

[Sleeveless]

From what I can tell you will either need to up your RO water production capabilities or switch to maintaining a hard water tank. I mix water for my small shrimp tank but even that is a pain. If you go the route of pre-conditioned water for a 75 gallon tank you are looking at purchasing a lot of water, in addition to a lot more water handling. If you go the route of a hard water tank or get an RO solution you can use your own water. Note you should be pulling your water before it goes through the water softening unit.

Someone told me that there is a high flow RO that would not make it a slow pain in the butt to fill the tank but I cannot find anything because of the amount of filtering needed in an RO system. Right now in the interim, I’m going to have to use the water just until I get this under control without losing too many fish. The fact it jumped again is driving me nuts, but it’s my fault for probably adding two more plants. I like to look for more streamline, but I’m limited to what I’ve got unfortunately. I don’t have a Means to pull prior to the softener, but I could bypass the softener.

 

[Sleeveless]

I'd get rid of that water softener gadget, unless it's been specifically designed with aquariums in mind.

I can’t. It’s for the house water. We are on a well with hard water so it helps that.

 

[AJ356]

I can’t. It’s for the house water. We are on a well with hard water so it helps that.

That's a bummer. Good for the house, not so good for fish. I guess you need a faster RO system then, but depends on money I guess.

 

[Sleeveless]

That's a bummer. Good for the house, not so good for fish. I guess you need a faster RO system then, but depends on money I guess.

I can put in a faster RO system, but I must be looking in the wrong places because all of them seem like the trickle type that fill a reservoir or take forever to fill something

 

[Magnum Man]

That's the nature of RO... mine trickles all the time, & came with a little pressure tank, that shuts it off, when full... I ( replaced that metal pressure tank, with a translucent 35 gallon plastic drum ( so I can see how full it is ) I could thread fittings, & use it as a bigger see through pressure tank, but I went the easy route, for right now anyway, & just ran the hoses through holes in the top... then have an RV type diaphragm pump with a remote switch I fill tanks from... mine takes 3-4 days to fill the barrel, if it's completely empty, & I have to manually turn off the line valve, when the tank's about full, if I don't have time to do water changes right away... my RO has a booster pump, as we have an old low pressure well pump, & it takes pressure to push the water through all the filters...

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I'm trying to figure out how your water is becoming so much harder and more alkaline in your tank. What sorts of substrate and decorations do you have? What kind of filter media are you using? For your hardness and pH to increase that much that fast, something is wrong.