increasing kH before injecting co2?

Well, yesterday I started up 1 2L bottle DIY co2 so I will keep an eye on my parameters. My kH, co2, gH, pH liquid test kits are all brand new so everything should be very accurate. I found a great champagne yeast at a local store that wasn't too expensive - Lalvin EC-1118 dry yeast. Seems to work great so far.
I will keep you posted on my progress and parameters.
 
These things are much too complicated for me. I start reading a discussion about RO water and see a claim made about low levels of mg by a guy who is dosing his tank with the ei method and think does this guy actually know what Epsom salt is?

If someone is adding a little crushed coral to a tank one of the benefits is that they are dissolving calcium. Why anyone would object to that baffles my mind.

So I get lost in the argument that you shouldn’t add things when it is made by people who are adding stump remover but objecting to bicarbonate of soda.

I don’t actually believe that you are going to crash your ph by adding co2. I just happen to think that adding a little crushed coral to the filter system is a good idea.
 
ergo sum said:
These things are much too complicated for me. I start reading a discussion about RO water and see a claim made about low levels of mg by a guy who is dosing his tank with the ei method and think does this guy actually know what Epsom salt is?

If someone is adding a little crushed coral to a tank one of the benefits is that they are dissolving calcium. Why anyone would object to that baffles my mind.

So I get lost in the argument that you shouldn’t add things when it is made by people who are adding stump remover but objecting to bicarbonate of soda.

I don’t actually believe that you are going to crash your ph by adding co2. I just happen to think that adding a little crushed coral to the filter system is a good idea.
Click to expand...

Well sometimes it isn't...you cannot quantitate how much Ca gets fed into your water column...adding a bag of it, is not like dosing something. It is a crapshoot, and one that can cause you loads of problems....not to mention, many plants do not like heavy minerals. OK so why add it if you don't need it? That is my question.
Also...If you feel you have to raise your kh which someone with a KH of 2 does NOT....use baking soda <bicarb> instead of coral in a bag....simple chemistry. You can quantitate exactly how much to raise in increments...
but there is no need!!!! that is my point.
 
kooter said:
Well, yesterday I started up 1 2L bottle DIY co2 so I will keep an eye on my parameters. My kH, co2, gH, pH liquid test kits are all brand new so everything should be very accurate. I found a great champagne yeast at a local store that wasn't too expensive - Lalvin EC-1118 dry yeast. Seems to work great so far.
I will keep you posted on my progress and parameters.
Click to expand...

Great kooter....and we want pics when you are all stabilized.
 
fresh_newby said:
Great kooter....and we want pics when you are all stabilized.
Click to expand...

no problem. I'm going to get pics done everyday with parameters attached to each pic, so there will be a good time line with what changes are being made to the water parameters.
 
cool beans....good luck~
 
I also believe in the simple theory that if it isn't broken - don't fix it! :pc:
 
this is a quote taken from a buddy at another forum about 5 minutes ago.....regarding a plant that many are having trouble growing...


AS will drop the KH to zero if it's not above 10 or so out of the tap, with nothing in the tank to raise it. I've noticed that plants not adapted to very soft water will die off quickly when exposed to AS, but they will grow back with patience. It's just their adapting to a new enviornment. Fish can take it hard at first, but they really just need to adapt. Go easy on the CO2 at first. Observe and adjust.

After about a 2 months or less, the KH will begin to rise naturally for some strange reason, up to about 3-4 dKH. It doesn't really effect the plants much, but you will need to up the CO2 some. However, plant growth is typically still very lush, especially if you key into the KH rise.

Frankly, I don't care what the GH is, and I'd prefer the KH to be at zero, but for some reason it rises a bit. Raising the KH will effectively kill Tonina's, but if they have an acidic substrate, they will hang on a bit longer. I don't care as long as the plants are growing--when they stop, which is rare, I investigate. So far, I've only found inferior substrates to actually cause a growth problem. There's a bunch of nonsense that low KH's will cause 'dramatic' pH swings, but that's a bunch of, well, nonsense! Looks good on paper, but doesn't pan out in the real world.

My 'acidic' tanks have operated at super low pH's, KH's, GH's, and I've never had better results! The only warning I will provide is watch the CO2. It's the only thing that will kill fish. Be ready to adjust as necessary.


If you have good water movement you are all set...no fishy problems.
 
Great post Fresh_Newby, I love hearing what everyones advice and experiences are.

In general:

The only comment I have is that everyone looks at specific numbers and tries to hit these, the problem is not everyone has the exact same setup, water parameters, fish load, filtering, etc. etc. What might work for one person will not necessarily work for someone else. Use all the information out there as a guideline only and work from there. Do your research, and if introducing anything new into the tank or changing the parameters at all, do it SLOWLY so you don't shock your inhabitants and watch your fish's behaviour - they will let you know if something is wrong! :dance2: :read: :dive:
 
kooter I couln't have said it better!
 
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