My gh in the tank is like 35, and the tap is around 16. Does freshwater aquarium salt raise gh, and I think my gravel has some sand stone in it, so should I change all the gravel out. My tank is 125Gallons ph 8 kh 12, I don't know much about all this stuff, thanks.
Why's my gh so high?
- Thread starter sam_the_man1987
- Start date
You shouldn't remove all the gravel, as you will remove a ton of helpful bacteria with it.
GH is a specific test to measure dissolved calcuim and magnesium salts. So, yes... adding freshwater salt to your aquarium is a very likely cause. How much do you add, and how frequently? WHY are you adding salt? What type of fish do you have in the tank?
Your water actually has a slightly elevated GH right out of the tap. Do you have a water softener? This utilizes salt to replace other elements in your water, and can lead to a higher GH value. You might want to consider using a bypass, or fill your tank from an exterior faucet not running through your softener.
Joe
GH is a specific test to measure dissolved calcuim and magnesium salts. So, yes... adding freshwater salt to your aquarium is a very likely cause. How much do you add, and how frequently? WHY are you adding salt? What type of fish do you have in the tank?
Your water actually has a slightly elevated GH right out of the tap. Do you have a water softener? This utilizes salt to replace other elements in your water, and can lead to a higher GH value. You might want to consider using a bypass, or fill your tank from an exterior faucet not running through your softener.
Joe
I add 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons, the guy at the fish store said it helps stress and prevents disease. I just add it with water change since it doesn't evaporate. I have silver dollors, assorted gouromis, 1 pleco, a few tiny clown loaches, and some sharks.
I don't have a water softener, but I just instaled a r/o unit last night. If I use straigh ro water, won't it lower my gh, and my kh. If I get my kh to low while dropping the gh, can I raise my kh. Is the sandstone not doing any harm? And should I stop using salt?
Thank you for your help
I don't have a water softener, but I just instaled a r/o unit last night. If I use straigh ro water, won't it lower my gh, and my kh. If I get my kh to low while dropping the gh, can I raise my kh. Is the sandstone not doing any harm? And should I stop using salt?
Thank you for your help
The guy at the fish store tells you to use salt so he can sell more salt. There really isn't any need for it, espically that much. It should really only be used as treatments. Fish don't have salt in nature and its best that they don't have it in the aquarium (unless they are salt water fish of course). Using straight RO isn't good for the fish either. Its ok to use it and sometimes better too, but you should mix it with some plane tap water. There are all sorts of trace elements in the water that the fish need.
Yes, stop using the salt, especially with silver dollars. They are Amazon fish and prefer a water with a low TDS, which salt will increase by a lot. Salt, as others have already said, should only be used for medicinal purposes as long term use will inhibit a FW fish's ability to adapt to changing water conditions.sam_the_man1987 said:
In most cases, RO is completely unnecessary in a FW aquarium. What are your tap water parametes? pH, GH, KH, nitrites, nitrates and ammonia.
Roan
Hi thank for the help, ph 8, gh 30, kh 11, nitrites o, amonia 0, nitrates I don't have a kit for. Theres some sandstone in my gravel, is that what's raising the gh. this morning I tested the tap water with and without salt to see if it affects the gh, and they both got the same reading. Thanks
If you want to "Soften" the water and bring down the gH & kH then you may want to use Peat in your filter.
Just be cautious and go slow with it. Dramatic shifts in GH, & KH can lead to a tank crash and your fish will be in trouble with it.
ALSO, Dropping your kH will also lower your pH...another reason to go really slow so fishies can adjust.
Other option is remove the SA fishies & switch to African Cichlids as most of them thrive in the 8.0+ pH.
Just be cautious and go slow with it. Dramatic shifts in GH, & KH can lead to a tank crash and your fish will be in trouble with it.
ALSO, Dropping your kH will also lower your pH...another reason to go really slow so fishies can adjust.
Other option is remove the SA fishies & switch to African Cichlids as most of them thrive in the 8.0+ pH.
Salt, sodium chloride, has no calcium or magnesium so it cannot and does not have any effect whatsoever on GH. It does increase TDS, but it is not what is raising your GH.
I don't think there's enough peat in all of ireland to soften that water. I have never seen peat lower my gh one bit. I know it works in theory, but in practice the affect is negligable.
clearly there's something in your tank which is contributing Ca and/or Mg to the water. are you measuring in hardness units (dH) or ppm? if the former, 35 dH = 626 ppm which is VERY hard. in fact, that's unusually hard. if you're measuring in ppm, your water is not hard at all.
i doubt you'll be able to lower your gH with peat ... as mooman said, it would take all the peat in ireland and even then i doubt it. you'd be far better off diluting your water with RO.