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Purchased an API kit and my tap GH is 1dGH (18ppm) and KH is 2dKH (36 ppm). This is my first time owning an aquarium with soft water. I am starting to stock a tropical communty tank which should tolerate 6dGH (107 ppm) and 7.5-7.8 pH. I am chosing this pH range because I tested water from several LFSs and my tap after 24 hrs in this range.

GH - Just add aquarium salt to get your desired GH?

KH - I plan to use Seachem Alkaline buffer. http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/AlkalineBuffer.html

I still have a lot of Seachem Acid buffer from treating the hard water from my previous home. You can supposedly use them in combination to fine tune your buffer to the desired pH.

The fish will prefer a GH but KH only buffers pH, correct?

Hi,
I'm not a big fan of using chemicals to alter the water
chemistries. Once you start using them, you have to
continue buying them for as long as you want to maintain
those values. That, can get expensive.
You can easily increase the GH by adding some
carbonate to the water in the form of hard-scape.
Limestone, dolomite, coral, or even crushed oyster shells
will move the water in the "Harder" direction. Watch
your pH at the same time, a small amount of carbonate will
increase the hardness so you don't have to go overboard
and substitute crushed limestone, dolomite, or coral as
your substrate. Rather, use a small amount, leave it in
the tank, and see what your reading is. Water changes
can easily keep the GH within normal limits with just a
small amount of crushed carbonate in the tank.

Likewise, to increase your KH, simply add some Baking
Soda to the tank. That will increase your KH and not
affect the other values.

Frank


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

Thanks, Frank. I suppose there are a couple of philosophies: Pre-treat the water (chemicals) or put items in the aquarium (peat, coral, etc). I personally prefer chemically preparing water when performing a WC as long as it is easy to do and isn't expensive. I do agree that you shouldn't fight your water any more than necessary.

That aside, if I chose the chemical solution, am I on the right path?

Aquarium salt for GH and buffers for KH?

After some research, I've decided to try two methods:

1) Crushed coral and baking soda in my 75

2) Seachem Equilibrium in my 29

I'll let you know how it goes

Here is a handy tool for using baking soda. The pH shift was accurate too.

http://www.dataguru.org/misc/aquarium/CalKH.asp

I successfully raised my 29 to 6dKH and used a little acid buffer to offset the pH increase. Now, I'm experimenting with tap water but I'm still a bit confused. I added 2 tsp baking soda to 20 gal tap. It increased the dKH from 2 to 7 as I expected. The pH is still 8.8. Normally, it would fall to 7.6 after 24 hrs. Is this water buffered at 8.8 or 7.6?

Also, is it really important to raise the GH? I am not trying to breed.

I think I have the recipe figured out to prepare my tap water (from 2 dKH and 8.8 pH to 6 dKH and 7.7 pH). To answer my previous question, it isn't buffered at 8.8 or 7.6. It is buffered at about 8.1 (7.6 without the baking soda). Raising KH from a very low level with baking soda increases the pH significantly - approx 0.5 pH in my case when raising from 2 to 7 dKH. To get the pH back down to the 7.5-7.8 range, I added acid buffer and I have 7.7 pH and 6 dKH after the 1.2 dKH loss from the buffer. I applied the same ratios to my 29, 75 and my 20 gal WC tub. A bit of estimating when measuring qtys but all 3 are 7.6-7.7 pH and 6 dKH.

So, for every 10 gal tap water, I will add 1 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp Seachem Acid Buffer. Maybe that helps someone else with low KH and high pH.

Hi Krash,
Thanks for that link. I've added it to my list for
future use and reference.

I would have been interested in the pH of that tap water
(24 hrs after drawing it) along with the GH & KH values.
Because Baking Soda changes the KH of the tank it would,
necessarily, change the pH of the tank as well.

The point being, why change anything? The only "problem"
with having a low KH is that the water has little buffering
capability, and over stocking a tank, or poor tank
maintenance, a lack of water changes and/or periodic
gravel vacuuming would allow organic wastes
(organic acids) to accumulate. The accumulating organic
acids would affect the pH more in a tank with a low KH
vs the same conditions with a higher KH.

Most want a minimum KH of between a 3 and a 4 to allow the
water to naturally buffer itself.

In any event, I'm glad you worked something out to your
satisfaction.
Frank


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

Here is what I kept track of

29 gal
pH 7.3 KH 1
Added 3 tsp baking soda & 1/2 tsp acid buffer
15 hrs later - pH 7.9 KH 5

75 gal
pH 7.4 KH 1
Added 7 tsp BS & 1 tsp AB
15 hrs later - pH 7.9 KH 6

20 gal tap in my WC tub
pH 8.8+ KH 2 GH 1
Added 2 tsp BS and 1/2 tsp AB and Prime
15 hrs later - pH 7.9 KH 6
The 7.7 I mentioned previously was after about 6 hours. It climbed a little overnight.

If I let my tap rest for 24 hrs with no additives, the pH drops to 7.6. I have not checked the KH and GH of aged tap. I could probably decrease the KH to 4 and eliminate the need for acid buffer.