Water help

[BIG_ONE]

Having kept flowerhorns for few yeras now, I'm unsure of what desirable pH would suit a fh.. Is it around pH 7.5, or more?

Neutral - 8.2
It is also believed by most experts that a higher pH promotes better kok growth.

 

[Mac.]

Didn't know that, def need to get that up then

 

[RD.]

It is also believed by most experts that a higher pH promotes better kok growth.

Higher pH has zero affect on kok growth, and most so called experts couldn't explain the connection between pH & kok growth if their life depended on it.

If one was to say that alkalinity could have an effect on kok growth, that would have some truth to it. Freshwater fish kept in hard water (>250 mg/l alkalinity) will spend less metabolic energy on osmoregulation than fish kept in soft water (< 100 mg/l alkalinity) - thus providing more metabolic energy for growth.

Discus breeders learned a long time ago that while they got greater hatches in softer water, the juvenile fish grew at far greater rates when raised in hard water.

I've had tanks with massive amounts of Malaysian driftwood with zero effect on the pH of the tank, due to the fact that the buffering capacity of my water is quite high. Alkalinity, or carbonate hardness, is the measure of carbonate and bicarbonate concentrations in your tank water. Alkalinity is a measure of the ability of a solution to neutralize acid without changing the pH. The alkalinity of your water is what controls and maintains water pH.

If the buffering capacity of your tap water is low, one of the most effective ways to increase it is by adding a media bag full of crushed oyster shells to your filtration system. Simply replenish as needed.

HTH

 

[Mac.]

Thanks