How do I prep RO water to use in a planted tank?
- Thread starter dereks
- Start date
Your newly bought Cardinals are all dead? What is your PH now? Do you know your Kh and GH.
I do not think you need to prep RO water, even for a planted tank. Depending on your sset-up, you may need to add ferts. This also depends on your light intensity and type of plants.
I do not think you need to prep RO water, even for a planted tank. Depending on your sset-up, you may need to add ferts. This also depends on your light intensity and type of plants.
Yea, they're dead, except 2.
My plan is to get the nitrates back down (well on their way) and get the PH down as I hear the cards like low PH.
Not sure what it is now but I know the city water is high, been a while since I checked it.
What is kh and gh? I have the test kits, just wondering what they are.
I will get you readings soon.
My plan is to get the nitrates back down (well on their way) and get the PH down as I hear the cards like low PH.
Not sure what it is now but I know the city water is high, been a while since I checked it.
What is kh and gh? I have the test kits, just wondering what they are.
I will get you readings soon.
KH/GH are water hardest test. If they are too low, hard to maintain PH. My Cardinals are in a PH of 7.5 with no issues, but my Nitrates are only about 5ppm.
Plants will need some kh and gh because that is where they get their magnesium and calcium. I've known individuals to use RO to dilute tap water but not heard of it used without adding anything.
Well what do you do to get the GH & KH where you want it?
And where is it supposed to be? So when I go home tonight I can look at it.
You knew you had problems with cardinals, we told you to test your water and give us the results, you went ahead and ordered more cardinals and they have almost all died and you STILL haven't fully tested your water? But you want to start using RO water without even knowing what your water is currently or should be? I feel like you haven't even found the problem but want a solution already. Slow down, back up, test your water. 
I have cardinal in a pH of 8.2, a none planted tank even. A high ph only isn't what kills fish. It is usually some combination of other things, that may be affected by ph even. Like ammonia for example is more toxic at higher pH values. Fish usually have a harder time adjusting to different total dissolved solids more so then pH but again those two are typically inline with each other. High Ph, high TDS. But this is not always the case even. I am on a well and I have a ph of 8.2, tds 115, kh 9-11, gh 8-9 making my water "soft", just barely, but with a high ph, alkaline. When I use the water softener/conditioner I have the same results except NO gh! I've had my water professionally lab tested as well even, wanna know my ORP? lol Water is super complicated, even testing with our liquid home tests doesn't tell us all we need to know but it's better then running around in the dark.
I have cardinal in a pH of 8.2, a none planted tank even. A high ph only isn't what kills fish. It is usually some combination of other things, that may be affected by ph even. Like ammonia for example is more toxic at higher pH values. Fish usually have a harder time adjusting to different total dissolved solids more so then pH but again those two are typically inline with each other. High Ph, high TDS. But this is not always the case even. I am on a well and I have a ph of 8.2, tds 115, kh 9-11, gh 8-9 making my water "soft", just barely, but with a high ph, alkaline. When I use the water softener/conditioner I have the same results except NO gh! I've had my water professionally lab tested as well even, wanna know my ORP? lol Water is super complicated, even testing with our liquid home tests doesn't tell us all we need to know but it's better then running around in the dark.
