Questions about raising kh- advice please

[hike13]

Hey everybody I'm looking for some advice on my kh problem. My tap water and in turn my tank water test at 1 dKH or less (according to my tetra test) so I have a hard time keeping my ph stable. The water goes in at a ph of about 6.8 and over the course of the week drops to somewhere between 6.0 and 6.4. I'm not looking to attain any specific ph I just would like it to be stable. After doing some research here on Ac I know I can use crushed coral or baking soda but I have no idea which is best or how much of each. I guess I'm looking to get the KH up to 3 so I have a decent buffer. So I'll throw out my main questions and see what happens.

My LFS has crushed coral but the bins all say saltwater. Is that what I'm looking for?
If that is what I need then what is the best way to use it? Small bag in the filter or adding to the substrate?
If baking soda is better how much do I use for a 10 gallon tank?

I'm one confused fish keeper right now


:help:

 

[FreddytheFish]

Does kH really matter?

FW fish are very good at adapting, so pH, hardness, etc. don't matter too much.

My test kit doesn't even test kH.

 

[Sully]

kh is important. it is indicates the ability to buffer water and maintain ph. 1 degree of kh is awfully low. the ph will tend to plummet. creating potentially fatal results for the fish.

I would try baking soda. That will immediately raise the kh. I wish I could tell you the equation for figuring out the quantity. I have never needed to do that so it is not something i have gone out and learned about. Start with a tablespoon--dissolve it in water prior to adding to tank. put it in tank. let it have time to get well circulated in tank and then test to see where you are. Add accordingly.

I would shoot for something along the 3-5 range at minimum.

 

[ashdavid]

Does kH really matter?

FW fish are very good at adapting, so pH, hardness, etc. don't matter too much.

My test kit doesn't even test kH.

Yes is does matter, and if you read the question , he was looking for a stable ph.

Your tanks ph is droping because of the nitrification process produces acids and because you have low amounts of buffers(DKH), the buffers are used up fast and therefore the ph drop.

Yes baking soda will give you instant results, which if added in excess and too quickly can have adverse affects on your fish. I would tend to stay away from baking soda if you have access to crushed coral. Yes the saltwater crushed coral is the stuff you want, just soak it in freshwater for a while and then rinse it off before you put it in your tank. If you like you can put it in your substrate, filter or in a stocking hanging in the tank, the main thing you should consider is if you want to take the coral out of the tank some day ,it should be able to be done easily.

There is another way to keep your ph stable and that is by increasing the frequency of your water changes. As Stated before your buffers are low so you need to keep replacing them and water changes done frequently will do the job fine.

BTW most people dream of water like yours.

 

[platypus60]

My tap water comes out at a little over 7pH and nosedives to 6, so we have the same problem. Crushed coral worked wonders for me and it is simple to use. I just have a bit tied in a piece of pantyhose laying on the filter. Keep a regular check on your pH and don't play with those chemical pH adjusters. You won't be able to maintain a steady pH with them, and all the ups and downs are what kills the fish. Keep in mind when doing water changes that once your tank pH stays up you can't do a big water change with aged water at ~pH6. Vice versa don't use fresh tap while your tank pH is low.

I'm sure the chemistry pros here will tell you more. I just wanted you to know that coral was an easy fix for me.

 

[ashdavid]

Keep in mind when doing water changes that once your tank pH stays up you can't do a big water change with aged water at ~pH6. Vice versa don't use fresh tap while your tank pH is low.

Just to add to this, if you keep crushed coral in your agging water for a week or so, you can get the KH up so that you can do bigger water changes. I know it is a pain to store water, but but sometimes these things are needed.

 

[platypus60]

Oops. When I said " don't use fresh tap while your tank pH is still low", I only meant for big water changes. Small frequent changes with fresh conditioned tap is what you will use to bring the pH back up to 7 slowly. The coral will work to maintain the pH you have in the tank. Is that correct, Ashdavid or others with more experience?

 

[hike13]

Yes the saltwater crushed coral is the stuff you want, just soak it in freshwater for a while and then rinse it off before you put it in your tank. If you like you can put it in your substrate, filter or in a stocking hanging in the tank, the main thing you should consider is if you want to take the coral out of the tank some day ,it should be able to be done easily.

Thanks for the info Ash. I'll try a small ammount of coral in the filter and see how it goes.

There is another way to keep your ph stable and that is by increasing the frequency of your water changes. As Stated before your buffers are low so you need to keep replacing them and water changes done frequently will do the job fine.

I'm doing a 40-50% wekly change and to be honest with the family at home I don't think it's going to get more frequent.

BTW most people dream of water like yours.

For their tank???

 

[platypus60]

if you keep crushed coral in your agging water for a week or so, you can get the KH up so that you can do bigger water changes.

I wish I had thought of that!!

 

[hike13]

Just to add to this, if you keep crushed coral in your agging water for a week or so, you can get the KH up so that you can do bigger water changes. I know it is a pain to store water, but but sometimes these things are needed.

Just to clarify, how much coral are we talking in say a 5 gallon bucket?