Guppies and Gh

[joeyr188]

what Should I do if my gh is soft? And will my guppies die if it is to soft

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

what Should I do if my gh is soft? And will my guppies die if it is to soft

Your guppies won't die if the water is too acidic. Of course, they prefer harder water because soft water could lead to long term health problems for guppies and quicker deaths. Maybe try using a calcium block or something aquarium safe to increase the hardness of the water if you want to. I suggest not using chemicals to change the water GH.
If your GH is low but your KH is high, you should be OK. General Hardness is difficult to change but KH should be easy to increase.
It would be better if you specified all your water parameters. Do you currently have guppies? How big is the tank?

 

[joeyr188]

Your guppies won't die if the water is too acidic. Of course, they prefer harder water because soft water could lead to long term health problems for guppies and quicker deaths. Maybe try using a calcium block or something aquarium safe to increase the hardness of the water if you want to. I suggest not using chemicals to change the water GH.
If your GH is low but your KH is high, you should be OK. General Hardness is difficult to change but KH should be easy to increase.
It would be better if you specified all your water parameters. Do you currently have guppies? How big is the tank?

Imma test and I’ll test you results

 

[Benji k]

Imma test and I’ll test you results

whats your ph

 

[joeyr188]

whats your ph

7.0

 

[joeyr188]

My

Your guppies won't die if the water is too acidic. Of course, they prefer harder water because soft water could lead to long term health problems for guppies and quicker deaths. Maybe try using a calcium block or something aquarium safe to increase the hardness of the water if you want to. I suggest not using chemicals to change the water GH.
If your GH is low but your KH is high, you should be OK. General Hardness is difficult to change but KH should be easy to increase.
It would be better if you specified all your water parameters. Do you currently have guppies? How big is the tank?

kh is 110

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

Are you also able to test for GH (general hardness)?

 

[joeyr188]

Are you also able to test for GH (general hardness)?

Yes I will after work

 

[emeraldking]

Short finned guppies can be kept in softer water without any problems. But large finned guppies are better off in harder water. When large finned guppies are kept in softer water, their fins tear as if something has been eating on those fins.

 

[joeyr188]

Short finned guppies can be kept in softer water without any problems. But large finned guppies are better off in harder water. When large finned guppies are kept in softer water, their fins tear as if something has been eating on those fins.

They are all short finned fancy guppies I wanted to start keeping dumbos guppies how could I harder the water?

 

[Byron]

Before ever considering trying to adjust water parameters, you need to consider the needs of all the fish you have or would like to have in the tank. There are some fish that absoutely need soft water, and others that absolutely need hard water (using very generic terms to get the point across), and there are many other species that will be healthy in between. It all depends upon the GH, KH and pH of the source (tap) water, and the intended species.

Adjusting water parameters is certainly possible, but it carries significant issues and risks. Water changes, including the "emergency" changes we all encounter, are simple and easy if you can use the tap water as it comes out of the tap. Having to adjust water for all water changes outside the aquarium is extra work, and possibly considerable expense depending upon what is needed. Time and time again many members here write how much safer and easier it is to select fish suited to your water parameters, rather than adjusting (or trying to) water parameters for sensitive fish.

So, what fish species do you have, and what species would you like to have, in this tank? There is no value at all in making soft water hard for one fish, if the other fish will then have more difficulty coping. These things cause stress, weakening the fish over time, making them more susceptible to other health issues that in the correct water would not be likely to occur.

 

[joeyr188]

Before ever considering trying to adjust water parameters, you need to consider the needs of all the fish you have or would like to have in the tank. There are some fish that absoutely need soft water, and others that absolutely need hard water (using very generic terms to get the point across), and there are many other species that will be healthy in between. It all depends upon the GH, KH and pH of the source (tap) water, and the intended species.

Adjusting water parameters is certainly possible, but it carries significant issues and risks. Water changes, including the "emergency" changes we all encounter, are simple and easy if you can use the tap water as it comes out of the tap. Having to adjust water for all water changes outside the aquarium is extra work, and possibly considerable expense depending upon what is needed. Time and time again many members here write how much safer and easier it is to select fish suited to your water parameters, rather than adjusting (or trying to) water parameters for sensitive fish.

So, what fish species do you have, and what species would you like to have, in this tank? There is no value at all in making soft water hard for one fish, if the other fish will then have more difficulty coping. These things cause stress, weakening the fish over time, making them more susceptible to other health issues that in the correct water would not be likely to occur.

I have all my guppies in a 10 gallon all the parameters are good except my gh

 

[Byron]

I have all my guppies in a 10 gallon all the parameters are good except my gh

OK, that's easy. Acquire a calcareous substrate. This is a sand or fine gravel composed of rock that is limestone or similar. Slowly the calcium and magnesium are dissolved (this will occur for years) into the water, raising the GH, KH and pH. You do not have to worry about it being too high with guppies, but it will add some necessary calcium and magnesium. This is the easiest and least expeensive option, because once and it is done. If your tap water is very low in GH/KH, you might do smaller volume water changes. You have to test for a while to see how it all plays out. I did this back in the 1980's for a tank of mollies and one of rift lake cichlids.

Another option is to prepare the water for water changes outside the tank, before adding it. This means using mineral salts (not "salt" as in common table salt sodium chloride, but the salts of minerals like calcium and magnesium). At every water change.

A third option may only require a small amount of buffering in the filter. I did this for several years in one tank, adding a small nylon bag of dolomite in the canister filter. This does little to increase the GH, but it can raise the KH and pH, depending again upon the source water parameters.

We don't yet know the GH of the source water, and this is needed before any of the above occurs. There may not be an issue for guppies.

 

[emeraldking]

They are all short finned fancy guppies I wanted to start keeping dumbos guppies how could I harder the water?

Byron has given you already some options.