Hi, I tested my kH and got it yellow in just 3 drops. Is it a bad thing? I read that discus ideal is 3-8 dKH. I am thinking of lowering my pH a bit. I checked and it sits at 8 sometimes at 7.4.
low kH
- Thread starter syntaxx
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Lowering pH can be a dangerous thing to play with And you can risk a tank crash. Acidic tanks are much more unstable and a whole different ball game. A constant pH is much more beneficial then meddling with it. Thankfully for me my tap water is super soft, with a kH of 0-1 and the pH can sit between 5-6.5.
If you do want to lower your pH I would do it with RO water that has been remineralised or use a RO water and tap water mix
Your kH is helping to stabilise your waters pH. Due to respiration and decomposition the water naturally acidifies over time, but the carbonate buffers that to stop the pH dropping. It isn’t unlimited though and when you do water changes that would replenish itHi
I’m glad to hear you have eggs Is there a specific reason you wanted to lower the pH? If not I would leave it how it isOk, cool
Hard water wont stop spawning but it may prevent hatching. I hope this is not what will happen here.
KH is what keeps pH from falling. However, the nitrifying bacteria will uses carbonates as well as CO2 as a source of inorganic carbon.
I run an Altum angel tank at 6.0 pH. I have an RO/DI unit and I mix 11 parts RO/DI and 9 parts my tap which is pH 7.0 and TDS in the low 80 ppm range. I use muriatic acid to help keep the pH near 6 but it wants to rise towards 6.5 between water changes. I add acid to the water when it does this too rapidly. I also run a continuous monitor for pH, TDS and Temperature.
As far as I know fish do not have a KH requirement. I watch TDS/conductivity and cannot remember the last time I used either my KH or GH kits.
I work hard to keep the Altum tank at the desired parameters. I was in the hobby for over a decade before I felt secure enough to try doing this tank. Lowering pH and TDS is a lot trickier than going in the opposite direction.
KH is what keeps pH from falling. However, the nitrifying bacteria will uses carbonates as well as CO2 as a source of inorganic carbon.
I run an Altum angel tank at 6.0 pH. I have an RO/DI unit and I mix 11 parts RO/DI and 9 parts my tap which is pH 7.0 and TDS in the low 80 ppm range. I use muriatic acid to help keep the pH near 6 but it wants to rise towards 6.5 between water changes. I add acid to the water when it does this too rapidly. I also run a continuous monitor for pH, TDS and Temperature.
As far as I know fish do not have a KH requirement. I watch TDS/conductivity and cannot remember the last time I used either my KH or GH kits.
I work hard to keep the Altum tank at the desired parameters. I was in the hobby for over a decade before I felt secure enough to try doing this tank. Lowering pH and TDS is a lot trickier than going in the opposite direction.
Hi
TwoTankAmin
, thanks for the insight. Yeah, the eggs are gone now after 3 days. What do you use for the continuous monitor pH and TDS? I am still waiting for my gH kit to arrive.
TwoTankAmin
, thanks for the insight. Yeah, the eggs are gone now after 3 days. What do you use for the continuous monitor pH and TDS? I am still waiting for my gH kit to arrive.
I actually tried two units made in China. neither worked right for very long. I finally settled on this one made in New Zealand:
https://bluelab.com/usa/bluelab-guardian-monitor
You can get it cheaper than that page shows. Use Google Shopping to find it for under $300.
https://bluelab.com/usa/bluelab-guardian-monitor
You can get it cheaper than that page shows. Use Google Shopping to find it for under $300.
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