Water Change Using Distilled Water And Equilibrium

Django · 10-10-2012, 10:00 PM

I have a KH of 3 that's driving up my pH. KH was 2. So, to reduce the current KH of 3 to 2, for my 10g, I need to do a ~3 gallon water change with distilled water.

I don't want to reduce all of the other hard elements so I will add Equilibrium to the distilled water.

I've never done this before, so please tell me if I'm thinking this right.

Thanks.

**Jeff5614** · 10-10-2012, 10:52 PM

Equilibrium won't change your KH, if that's what you're wondering.

**Hoppy** · 10-11-2012, 01:16 AM

The pH that results from a KH of 3 degrees instead of 2 degrees isn't something to worry about. And, 3 dKH is a good level for the tank anyway, so no need to adjust it at all.

Django · 10-11-2012, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoppy

The pH that results from a KH of 3 degrees instead of 2 degrees isn't something to worry about. And, 3 dKH is a good level for the tank anyway, so no need to adjust it at all.

Any ideas why my pH is 7.6? Tap water is very high, 9.3, maybe higher after degassing. The only things I put in the tank are Equilibrium with water changes and Seachem Flourish Comprehensive, and I have used Root Tabs. Substrate is big natural gravel. I can't understand why the pH is so high. Tap is obviously high but do they use carbonates and bicarbonates - that would show up in KH. I'll look at the MWRA site again and see if I can find out.

http://www.mwra.state.ma.us/monthly/...ata/092012.pdf

Thanks.

**mistergreen** · 10-11-2012, 05:35 AM

The report says they alter the water's ph and it looks like it has big amounts of calcium in it.my guess is they're running it through limestone, calcium carbonate.

Look at the hardness too. It goes from 7 ppm raw to 13ppm.

Django · 10-11-2012, 08:32 AM

Thanks MisterGreen. The water is very soft. I add Equilibrium to bring up the hardness to 5.

I got some advice to just leave things alone and I'll hope pH goes down. Funny, huh? But without other methods, that's what I'm going to do. Thanks for all your your suggestions.

Oh, I did a 50% water change last week. Seems that that would move levels towards tap. Nitrates were lower than they have been lately too. Thanks.

Diana · 10-13-2012, 12:45 AM

I have water similar to yours.
GH and KH out of the tap are usually 4 German degrees, though it can vary a bit.
pH is usually the upper 7s and often enough is into the 8s. One aquarium keeping friend measured it at 9.0 a couple of summers ago.

The local water company adds sodium hydroxide. There are other things that your water company could be adding. Call them an ask. That is how I found out about my tap water.

If you can remove whatever they are adding, then the pH ought to come down.

Try these ideas:

Filter some tap water through some commonly available things and see if it helps. The easiest way is to put some water in a 5 gallon bucket with a bubbler or small fountain pump and some of any one of these materials. Test at the start, then about every 12 hours. If there is no change in 24 hours, then the material is not doing anything to help you.
Peat Moss: Garden store stuff, but watch out for fertilizers or surfactants. Put a generous handful in a nylon stocking.
Any of the *sorb sort of filter media, such as cupri-sorb, phos-sorb and so on. While each one seems quite specific, in fact each one may adsorb other materials, too. (These are pretty expensive if you have to start using them to prepare the water for every water change)
Any of the Oil-Dry sorts of materials. These products have very high cationic exchange capacity, but do not adsorb all minerals. They might help with this problem, though. I have many tanks with Soil Master Select, also some Turface and Safe-T-Sorb.
All these tanks show this response: The substrate removes the KH (per tests) and allows the pH to drop (per tests). But I think that if the sodium hydroxide was still in the water the pH would not drop so much. I think (but have no way of testing) that the substrate is also removing the sodium hydroxide. Maybe it will remove whatever the water company is adding to your water? These products do not alter the GH, so do not adsorb Ca or Mg. Put them in a nylon stocking, too. I have no idea how much will last how long, though. Perhaps a cup or so in 4-5 gallons of water?

10-10-2012, 10:00 PM	#1
Django Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 308	Water Change Using Distilled Water And Equilibrium I have a KH of 3 that's driving up my pH. KH was 2. So, to reduce the current KH of 3 to 2, for my 10g, I need to do a ~3 gallon water change with distilled water. I don't want to reduce all of the other hard elements so I will add Equilibrium to the distilled water. I've never done this before, so please tell me if I'm thinking this right. Thanks.

10-10-2012, 10:52 PM	#2
Jeff5614 Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (52/100%) Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: TN Posts: 2,438	Equilibrium won't change your KH, if that's what you're wondering. __________________ My Tank: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/yo...o=view&id=1508

10-11-2012, 01:16 AM	#3
Hoppy Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (54/100%) Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 17,215	The pH that results from a KH of 3 degrees instead of 2 degrees isn't something to worry about. And, 3 dKH is a good level for the tank anyway, so no need to adjust it at all. __________________ Hoppy

10-11-2012, 05:35 AM	#5
mistergreen Bow ties are cool (View User Tanks) PTrader: (12/100%) Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 12,897	The report says they alter the water's ph and it looks like it has big amounts of calcium in it.my guess is they're running it through limestone, calcium carbonate. Look at the hardness too. It goes from 7 ppm raw to 13ppm. __________________ DIY High Tech Tank forum http://aquatictechtank.net A forum dedicated to design and program aquatic tanks

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10-11-2012, 08:32 AM	#6
Django Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 308	Thanks MisterGreen. The water is very soft. I add Equilibrium to bring up the hardness to 5. I got some advice to just leave things alone and I'll hope pH goes down. Funny, huh? But without other methods, that's what I'm going to do. Thanks for all your your suggestions. Oh, I did a 50% water change last week. Seems that that would move levels towards tap. Nitrates were lower than they have been lately too. Thanks.

10-13-2012, 12:45 AM	#7
Diana Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Contra Costa CA Posts: 5,013	I have water similar to yours. GH and KH out of the tap are usually 4 German degrees, though it can vary a bit. pH is usually the upper 7s and often enough is into the 8s. One aquarium keeping friend measured it at 9.0 a couple of summers ago. The local water company adds sodium hydroxide. There are other things that your water company could be adding. Call them an ask. That is how I found out about my tap water. If you can remove whatever they are adding, then the pH ought to come down. Try these ideas: Filter some tap water through some commonly available things and see if it helps. The easiest way is to put some water in a 5 gallon bucket with a bubbler or small fountain pump and some of any one of these materials. Test at the start, then about every 12 hours. If there is no change in 24 hours, then the material is not doing anything to help you. Peat Moss: Garden store stuff, but watch out for fertilizers or surfactants. Put a generous handful in a nylon stocking. Any of the *sorb sort of filter media, such as cupri-sorb, phos-sorb and so on. While each one seems quite specific, in fact each one may adsorb other materials, too. (These are pretty expensive if you have to start using them to prepare the water for every water change) Any of the Oil-Dry sorts of materials. These products have very high cationic exchange capacity, but do not adsorb all minerals. They might help with this problem, though. I have many tanks with Soil Master Select, also some Turface and Safe-T-Sorb. All these tanks show this response: The substrate removes the KH (per tests) and allows the pH to drop (per tests). But I think that if the sodium hydroxide was still in the water the pH would not drop so much. I think (but have no way of testing) that the substrate is also removing the sodium hydroxide. Maybe it will remove whatever the water company is adding to your water? These products do not alter the GH, so do not adsorb Ca or Mg. Put them in a nylon stocking, too. I have no idea how much will last how long, though. Perhaps a cup or so in 4-5 gallons of water?