Hardness and CO2

[zave2340]

Okay, i brought my some tank water toa local watershop and had them test it for hardenss for me. it came back 12 now according to teh chat i found online, this is calssed as VERY HARD. BUT, i am not sure this is right. i am on a natural spring here in the house. and i know the water is not that hard out of the tap.

HArdness of 12
Water Hardness Scale

Grains Per Gallon


Milligrams Per Liter (mg/l)or Parts Per Million (ppm)

Classification
less than 1.0 less than 17.1 Soft
1.0 - 3.5 17.1 - 60 Slightly Hard
3.5 - 7.0 60 - 120 Moderately Hard
7.0 - 10.5 120 - 180 Hard
over 10.5 over 180 Very Hard


So how sould i interperable these results. BTW i do have sand substrate, but i know that it was not beeing sitrried or anything when i was takeing a sample.

Also with this result what do i know aobut adding CO2 to the tank

 

[RTR]

Are you speaking of GH (calcium and magnesium hardness) or KH (alkalinity or carbonate hardness)? When folks speak of just "hardness", it usually means general hardness, GH.

Plants do not care much about GH/hardness, some is reguired to provide Ca++ and Mg++. If it were low you would need to supplement.

KH & pH together are used to measure/estimate the amount of CO2 dissolved in the water.

 

[zave2340]

thanks that must be it