GH wont come down!!!

[VNVixen]

I will try to make this short but I don't want to leave anything out. I live in Arizona, so I have to use RO. I filter the RO over peat into a 55 gallon bucket that has peat in nylon socks. This water is for my water changes and top offs. The peat gets my pH from 8 (out of the bottle) to 6.6 and my KH to 5 degrees from near 20+. The problem I am still having is GH. It will NOT come down from around 16. It is the same in the RO and my tap. I am a bit frustrated. I am trying not to add chemicals to my water since I keep Discus, and the expense of the fish leaves you no room to experiment. I see ways to raise the GH, but not to lower it. I am at a loss. I have driftwood in the tank and filter water with peat. I do not use anything like sea shells, or the like, because I need my pH low. Anyone have any ideas of a safe way to adjust this????? Thank you for your help.

30 gallon
magnum HOT canister filter w/ a bio wheel
DIY CO2, running into the sponge on the inlet to my canister
tank temp 85 degrees
water changes once a week 15%

[Jim Miller]

The whole point of RO is to remove all minerals. This would take the KH and GH to near zero if running properly. Something is wrong with your RO unit.

jtm

[VNVixen]

hmmm. i buy the RO from a commercial store called water 'n' ice. I am currently all out of water straight from the bottle because it's been divided into different tubs for the different tanks. I will test the water from them straight prior to use next time. If the GH is high, should I find a new place to go???

[ridns]

I bought my R.O. unit from "water n ice" and my water out of the unit checks kh 2, gh 2. I would tell them where you buy it exactly what your problem is. I bet they are unaware of it.
:hehe:

[SNPiccolo5]

Your water you are using isn't RO if its pH is 8 and KH near 20. If you peat filtered RO water, its pH would drop VERY low (depending on how you filter it through the peat).

-Tim

[VNVixen]

I have been having problems with my reef tank, and no one could figure out why. It was not until the replies I recieved here the questions were answered. THANK YOU SOOOOOOO much.

I HAVE THE ANSWER!!!!
After months of dealing with an unknown attacker on my reef tank, the answer has developed. Let me fill you in.
I use the same RO water on my reef tank as in my freshwater planted tank, purchased from a local water store called Water n’ Ice. In my fresh water tanks, I have been attempting to lower my pH to 6 in order to house Discus fish and plants. The way I achieve this is by draining the RO water over a bail of peat moss into a big Rubbermaid tub. Consequently, I have been having a problem with this. See, filtered RO ran over peat moss should take your pH down to 6 or lower. My pH would only go down to 6.8. In addition to this, my GH was saying at around 15 degrees, when I need it to be around 2. So I posted the question on “The Planted Tank”. I received these replies.

“The whole point of RO is to remove all minerals. This would take the KH and GH to near zero if running properly. Something is wrong with your RO unit.

jtm”

“I bought my R.O. unit from "water n ice" and my water out of the unit checks kh 2, gh 2. I would tell them where you buy it exactly what your problem is. I bet they are unaware of it.
ridns
”


DING DING DING!!!!

So sure enough, I tested my RO water straight and it is CRAP!!!! The pH is 9!!!!! The KH is 5, the GH is 20!!!!! The RO water is not really RO water. (I am so going to sue!!!!) In short, my TAP WATER is better than what my poor tanks have been using. I have lost a $70 Discus and a whole reef set up!!! I am REALLY mad!!!

My conclusion is this. Because I pre prep all my water a week to a month in advance, the water parameters had time to adjust by the time I would test it before it went into the tank. My tank parameters have been fine, as well as the prepped water, BUT, who knows what things are in this unfiltered water I have been using. My ALK has always been high at about 3.6 to 4, but that is as high as my test kit goes. Even though I have had my water tested at 2 different lfs, who really knows what the ALK is at prior to adequate time for buffering.
The newbie moral of the story is:
When you go to the gas station, test the gas and make sure it is actually 87 octanes before you put it in your car and blow your engine. AND SUE THAT GAS STATION AFTER THE EXPLOSION!!!!!

Thank you everyone for your help. I have learned a valuable and expensive lesson.

[Rex Grigg]

I don't think that just pouring the water over the peat moss is going to do much to lower the pH.

[doooog]

my gH is at 23, its the first time i have ever tested it. Why is it so darned high?

I too filter with peat, and have a lot of driftwood and such... but i have never really had any big problems with this (to my knowledge) what problems can a high gH result in?

Thanks

~Doug

[SNPiccolo5]

Peat will lower the pH depending on how it is done. The longer the water is with the peat, the lower the pH goes. However, it won't work with such a high KH.

Sometimes tap water just sucks, or there is something in your tank contributing to it.

-Tim

[Rickster]

Why not buy your own R.O. unit? I know they are expensive but sooner or later buying R.O. water is going to cost more. And when you factor in the time and effort it takes to go get the water and have it sitting around in big containers it just makes more sense to save up and get your own. Just my .02 worth