Methods for raising gH/kH

[Banafish]

My kH/gH are both below 17.9 ppm, so I am looking to increase it. Is the crushed coral in filter way effective? I am also looking any other ways, if there are any. Thanks!

 

[Magnum Man]

Limestone is supposed to help as well, and there are chemical additives available, specifically for aquariums… most containing calcium carbonate, or carbonic acids

 

[Colin_T]

What fishes do you keep?
If you have soft water fishes from the Amazon or tropical Asia, you don't need to raise either the GH or the KH

 

[Byron]

Colin's questions are well put. While adjusting parameters is always possible, it is not as easy as it might sound. It makes water changes more cumbersome because the water has to be prepared outside the aquarium to the same [parameters before being added. And the mineral salt mixes are not inexpensive long-term. I have gone down this road a couple times but having done so I would not want to do it again.

 

[Banafish]

What fishes do you keep?
If you have soft water fishes from the Amazon or tropical Asia, you don't need to raise either the GH or the KH

I'm planning on keeping a few snails and a golden bristlenose.

 

[Colin_T]

Bristlenose catfish are soft water fish and you don't need to raise the GH for them.

-------------------

If you do want to raise the GH, get some Rift Lake water conditioner from a pet shop or online and use it at a lower dose rate. You don't want the GH any higher than about 100ppm for suckermouth catfish.

 

[Banafish]

Bristlenose catfish are soft water fish and you don't need to raise the GH for them.

-------------------

If you do want to raise the GH, get some Rift Lake water conditioner from a pet shop or online and use it at a lower dose rate. You don't want the GH any higher than about 100ppm for suckermouth catfish.

So my current gH/kH levels are good for the bristlenose's needs? Most websites I read online about bristlenose parameters say gH/kH should be above 89 ppm

Ok, what about the snails? Or should they just not go together? Thank you!

 

[Colin_T]

Snails are fine in soft water as long as the pH doesn't go acidic (below 7.0). If the pH does become acidic, the snail's shell will start to dissolve. The lower the pH, the faster the shell dissolves.

 

[Banafish]

Snails are fine in soft water as long as the pH doesn't go acidic (below 7.0). If the pH does become acidic, the snail's shell will start to dissolve. The lower the pH, the faster the shell dissolves.

Alright, thanks!

 

[Banafish]

Snails are fine in soft water as long as the pH doesn't go acidic (below 7.0). If the pH does become acidic, the snail's shell will start to dissolve. The lower the pH, the faster the shell dissolves.

Yesterday I tested my pH and it was around the 7.4-7.6 mark, and today when I tested it after a water change it became 6.4-6.6. Would this issue be mainly due to low gH/kH?

My tap water naturally has a pH of 6.0, so I have no idea how the pH was so high.

 

[Colin_T]

Increasing the KH will help stop the pH from dropping. You can use a KH buffer to raise the KH without raising the GH.

If you want to raise the GH and KH a little bit, use a low dose rate of Rift Lake water conditioner.

 

[Byron]

Yesterday I tested my pH and it was around the 7.4-7.6 mark, and today when I tested it after a water change it became 6.4-6.6. Would this issue be mainly due to low gH/kH?

My tap water naturally has a pH of 6.0, so I have no idea how the pH was so high.

This is highly dangerous for fish, do not mess with the parameters individually like the pH. It is tied to the GH and KH, and other factors like CO2, and whatever.

Soft water fish live in soft water with little or no KH. The pH is usually on the acidic side (there are some exceptions, we needn't get into those).

When testing tap water for pH, you must out-gas the CO2. Do this by letting a glass of water sit 24 hours, or by very briskly agitating the water to diffuse the CO2 out. Or check with your municipal water authority for the pH.

In the aquarium, the pH will naturally tend to lower as organics decompose. This is not bad for soft water fish, quite the contrary. What is the GH and KH of your tap water?

 

[Banafish]

This is highly dangerous for fish, do not mess with the parameters individually like the pH. It is tied to the GH and KH, and other factors like CO2, and whatever.

Soft water fish live in soft water with little or no KH. The pH is usually on the acidic side (there are some exceptions, we needn't get into those).

When testing tap water for pH, you must out-gas the CO2. Do this by letting a glass of water sit 24 hours, or by very briskly agitating the water to diffuse the CO2 out. Or check with your municipal water authority for the pH.

In the aquarium, the pH will naturally tend to lower as organics decompose. This is not bad for soft water fish, quite the contrary. What is the GH and KH of your tap water?

Both are around 17.9 ppm

 

[Byron]

Both are around 17.9 ppm

OK, that is fine for the bristlenose, or any other soft water fish species for that matter. In time I would expect the pH to become acidic, and that too is just fine for soft water species.

 

[Banafish]

OK, that is fine for the bristlenose, or any other soft water fish species for that matter. In time I would expect the pH to become acidic, and that too is just fine for soft water species.

Thanks!

So I shouldn't worry about my parameters in any way? What if I wanted snails as well, should I just raise the pH?