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baking soda isn't the best to use to buffer ph, it will drop a lot in time. The good option is to go for bottled KH+..or even better, get a ph7 buffer such as "Seachem Neutral Regulator"

if you tap water is 80ppm nitrate, you will definitly need to do something to it before u want to use it aquarium water....maybe a RO unit help..but I am not sure

I'm living in Australia. I haven't had the luxury of getting a second opinion on the nitrate in the tap water, but, that being said, my tank tests low, and bottled water tested 0, so there can't be something hugely wrong with my kit.

I can't afford an RO unit, and bottled water for my tank size would lso be cost prohibitive, so unfortunately I'm stuck with what I've got.

I should have mentioned this, I have also tried the KH up product. This has been a problem for quite some time (over a year). I continually added baking soda and stopped when my PH was where I wanted it. The LFS advised me to purchase KH up about a month ago, but I have found its effect the same. If I try to raise by KH above around 30ppm, my PH will skyrocket every single time. I'm amazed by fish have survived all these fluctuations.

Whilst we're on teh subject, does anyone know what chemical "KH Up" actually contains? I was advised by a friend it was in itself alos just baing soda.

the ideal KH+ is suppose to be rich of "carbonate" and free of "phosphate"

which brand so you use? I prefer "Sera" which increase KH without touching ph...and as I said before..try "Seachem Neutral Regulator"

Do not insist to have ph 7 or something like that...if your source of water isn't too far off..dun bother about playing with ph, stable is more important than being "correct"..do water changes to prevent drop of ph... how about your LFS? if your tap water is 80ppm nitrate, most likely your LFS will be the same, ask them what did they do.

I have been using the Aquasonic Carbonate Hardness Generator.

I will try the brand you mention.

My tap water is PH 6.2, KH=0, seemingly consistent with the rediculous nitrate concentration. So settling there isn't an option. I have always buffered my water change water with baking soda or the Aquasonic product, however I can only buffer it to 30ppm or again, the PH gets too high.

I have maintained my tank by adding a teaspoon of buffer every two weeks, (water changes just add nitrates. They have dropped over a long time due to heavy planting) which is small enough to have a minimal effect on PH, yet is required, or my KH starts to drop. I have experimented with just "leaving it" and after about three months, KH drops to 0. PH falls to pieces the very next day.

My goal is to try and raise KH a little more in the hope it will stay there a little more. Let's hope other generators do this.

I agree totally on the phosphate free idea- we add enough phosphate to our tanks in the food we feed.

After doing some further reading, I'm wondering if I should just accept that my tank has a very low amount of CO2, hence I must have a low KH to keep my PH from going too high?

I do run two airstones, and my filter return runs directly over the surface of the tank.

One option here would be CO2 injection (have to buy a few more plants to make it worthwhile) then adding in some buffer, I believe. Sound about right?

Hi,

I have a community tank, with several spieces of fish. I'm trying for a PH of about 7.0-7.2, which should suit everyone.

Some time ago when I began researching, I tested my PH for the first time. I was looking at 6.2 (scary isn't it). It had dropped over a long period (I assume) so I set about raising it. I noted my KH, a dead 0. You add reagent one, the color turns yellow, and you're asked to add reagent 2 until the color turns yellow. I have verified this with the LFS test kit.

So I turned to baking soda. Through this, I raised the PH (yes, I did it slowly) to 7.0, and the KH to 20ppm.

The KH was still too low for my liking, and I felt there was such a lack of buffering I could expect a significant swing any day. So I added more bicarb. The KH made its way to 30ppm, and the PH made it to 7.4, which is too high.

So my question is, how can I raise the buffering capabilities further (I would like to make it to 50ppm) without getting dangerous high on the PH side of things?

I got my PH back down to 7.0 with water changes, but it cost me KH aswell. Water changes annoy me, because my tap water tests off the scale (> 80ppm) nitrates where my tank only tested around 10ppm before I tried to settle this problem.

I haven't the slightest idea where you live. But in most established states as well as Canada (I believe), the permitted nitrate ppm reading is ~10. I therefore highly doubt your nitrate claim at being over 80, as your pH would also be much lower (and your fish would keel over). Besides, if your tap water was at 80, you're tank conditions would reflect as such--so there would also be no way for your tank to be at 10 ppm.

On the other hand, baking soda and other carbonates should be fine buffer wise, as they'll both raise your pH to an acceptable level, and stabilize it.

Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 09-Nov-2004 02:44