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My KH is two. My PH is fluctuating. How han I bring up my KH to stabilize the ph? Oh, the GH is also two.

Soft water can be mineralized by the addition of baking soda...

Start out with a couple of level tablespoons, wait about four hours, test, and dose some more if required to reach desired KH level.

The pH will automatically increase so test carefully.

--garyroland.

....will baking soda affect the GH as well? haha one of the last times i tested my water in my 10 gallon the KH was 2 and the GH was 32!! needless to say i did a big water change... i have well water so its different all the time!

Baking soda will not raise the GH of your water. Baking soda is Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate (NaHCO3). GH is the measurement of Magnesium and Calcium ion concentration in the water, so baking soda will not affect it.

-- Gomer

Hi,
In reading your note Devon, one of the nice things
about well water is that it is consistant.
That is, assuming you mean you have your own personal
well at the home.

If you are on city water, that draws it from a well(s)
then chances are that there will be inconsistancies
as the city changes sites.

Every 4 to 6 months a municipal water treatment plant
will change wells to allow the used well to recharge.
Frequently the wells are in different aquifers and
thus the change in water chemistries.

Additionally, severe droughts with the lack of
water traveling through the aquifer recharging it will
affect the water chemistries.

Frank


Last edited by FRANK at 27-Oct-2004 12:48

Last edited by FRANK at 27-Oct-2004 12:49

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Did he say his well water was different every time, Frank??...

Well water, as you state, is usually pretty consistent. I know mine is.

--garyroland.

hmm it is a personal well, but i have tested the PH straight from the tap at these different levels! i think somebody said it could be partially due to the changing of seasons?

You never gave us the various pH levels...

Water hardness/softness and pH are related.

--garyroland.

As a note here (I'm REALLY no expert, I only added bicarb for the first time yesterday, after talking to Frank).

I don't know if this will help with your measuring of bicarb doses, but... I found that one mildly heaped teaspoon, in my 40 Gal tank was enough to raise it by one deg. of KH each time.

I too started at a KH of 2, with pH swinging from 6 (possibly below, 6 was the limit of my kit) to 6.6/6.8 (am using CO2).

After 24 hours my KH is now at 4 (after two doses, each one a mildly heaped teaspoon) and I'll put in two half-teaspoons over the next 12 hours or so to try and get to 5 where I'll leave it. My pH is FAR more stable at the KH of 4 by the looks (sitting pretty much at 6.8, though there may be a 0.2 swing, but wont be sure till I stop increasing the KH to get it to the 5 I want I guess).

I think the bottom line seems to be to judge the dosing by the capacity of the tank, looking at your profile I see everything from a 120 to 20...

Dex






Last edited by dextroze at 27-Oct-2004 21:22

first off, I dont mean to hijack this thread but I am having similar difficulties so I dont want to start a new one on the same thing

I tested my 10 gallon this evening with these results:

PH: 6.5
GH: 14
KH: 2

I dont want to bring the PH up too much, this tank is going to be for rams I will be getting in the mail late next week, so I have a little time to make adjustments

Heya Devon,

Don't know if this helps any...

Before the bicarb my pH was round the 6.4 - 6.6 mark (as it turns out the 6.6/6.8 in my previous post should have read 6.4/6.6, that's what happens when I rely on memory rather than check my notes) tap water here = 7.2... the CO2 was making it drop to 6 when I tried leaving it on overnight (when I left it off the morning readings were consistently 6.4, and would creep up during the day, even with the CO2 on, to between 6.4 and 6.6) (for what it's worth GH is 6)....

It looks like raising the KH to 4 has stabilized it up round 6.8, even with the CO2 on 24/7

Beyond the CO2 and what I am now lead to believe would be a no-longer effective piece of driftwood, I have never done anything to impact on the pH before (not counting the natural adjustment of an established tank with plants of course).

...

After adding "half" a teaspoon of bicarb an hour or two back (40 Gal tank)... I just retested mid-post and now have:

pH: 6.8 (side note: a fresh DIY CO2 mix was added today)
KH: 5 (_just_ by the looks, either way I'm going to stop adding bicarb now)

Both tests were done twice.

Dex