Whats the best way to adjust my tap water?

[Momotaro]

Here are my complete tap water parameters:
pH - 8.2
NO2 - 0
NO3 - 20ppm
PO4 - .1ppm
KH - 10
GH - 14

I want to lower the pH, the KH and the GH. Now, I have an RO filter. I was thinking of going 50/50 RO and tap water. I think that should lower all three. The driftwood and the pressurized CO2 should bring the pH down to a very plant/tetra friendly range. Then we can dose to get the rest just right.

[m.lemay]

Using 1/2 RO with your tap water should be sufficient to get the right parameters. This will cut your GH and KH in half. I'm not sure if RO will remove all the nitrates. Maybe someone with high nitrate tap water and an RO unit can help you there.

Marcel

[Momotaro]

I am going to go 75 RO/25 tap. this gives me a pH of 7.6 a KH of 4 and a GH of 5.

[Momotaro]

I started adding CO2 to the aquarium yesterday via high pressure and a Hydrologix reactor at about 2 bubbles per second. According to my pH test kit, the pH is reading the lowest point 6.0. I have stopped the CO2 injection and wait. Any other suggestions?

Mike

[Buck]

I started adding CO2 to the aquarium yesterday via high pressure and a Hydrologix reactor at about 2 bubbles per second.

Thats way too much unless you said it backwards... a bubble every 2 seconds is even high let alone 2 bubbles per sec. if you have a good reactor...

Start your CO2 off slow... maybe a bubble every 5-6 seconds and let it go for a couple days to monitor the PH... you are looking for stability and that takes time to adjust. Do not crank it up and shut it off though because your PH will fluctuate rapidly and cause many problems...

[KyleT]

Originally Posted by Buck

Do not crank it up and shut it off though because your PH will fluctuate rapidly and cause many problems...

Believe Buck, I know from experience that rapid fluctuations in PH cause many very bad things. Like ich and 50% of your fish population dying from it as well as 25% of your plant population.

Just as Buck said, start off slow and monitor right before the lights go on and right after they go off as well. Slowly crank up the CO2 and continue testing and pretty soon you will get a feel for how fast to set the Co2.

As for the hardness of your water don't worry about it too much. My water is also really hard I think like GH - 11 and KH - 9. I don't adjust anything and my tank does just fine. Of course you wont' be hurting them by lowering either!

Good luck!
Kyle

[Rex Grigg]

I don't think that two bubbles a second is too much. It really depends on your water, how much surface turbulence you have and other factors.

[Momotaro]

I backed off the CO2 completely, and have raised the spraybar to aerate the water for the next several hours. I am hoping the pH will rise up again. After I mixed the RO and tap my pH went from 8.2 to 7.6. I would really like to get to 6.8. After CO2 was introduced the pH droped below 6.The GH is now at 5 and the KH is a bit low at 2. The aquarium is empty, so I am not worried about a pH swing effecting anything. I will back off on the CO2 till tomorrow, if the pH comes down. I will come down to about 1 bubble per 2 seconds. My spraybar is normally submerged and pointed downward at an angle, so there is almost no surface turbulance. That Hydrologix reactor seems to be working like a dream. I hope to get the controller up and running soon! That will help the regulating process quite a bit I imagine.

Mike

[Angel12]

The RO unit will take Everything out of your water all u will be left with is Pure H20 but then u have to start to add minerals/electrolytes back in to the desired Ph and Kh u want

mixing with Tap water is what many people tend to do but it all depends on the tap water source do you what PO4 (phosphate) Ppm do you have in your tap water .. is it high/ low ?

as for the Co2 it is my understanding (and no doubt someone will post further informatin )that the CO2 reacts and forms Carbonic acid wich will lower the Ph of you tank in ratio to how many bubles per sec you add .... you need to find a Point you are happy with and stick to it considering you have no fish in the tank that is a good thing in that you can experiment to a certain extent until you find the right ratio for you ....

HTH

[dlwarnock]

Mike,

Hook up your controller! It only takes a few minutes and solves you problem.

David