GH and KH requirement for Rotala wallichi

[minnu]

Hi,

I have a High light planted tank with Water parameter GH-10 and KH- 15 and PH at 7.4.

I am facing problem in getting rotala wallichi grow in my tank.

Please advice if I would need to reduce GH and KH?

Regards
Praveesh

[danielt]

If you can lower the kH to a max 4gkH I *think* it should solve your problem without lowering gH also. I don't have experience with that particular Rotala so I might be wrong.

[minnu]

Originally Posted by danielt

If you can lower the kH to a max 4gkH I *think* it should solve your problem without lowering gH also. I don't have experience with that particular Rotala so I might be wrong.

Thanks Daniel... by 4gkh you mean to 4 degree? Is it possible to bring down the KH with a water softner pillow?

Regards
Praveesh

[danielt]

I made a typo, yes 4 degrees. I don't know what a softener pillow is.

[minnu]

Originally Posted by danielt

I made a typo, yes 4 degrees. I don't know what a softener pillow is.

Its the API Water Softener Pillow it says it reduces water hardness.

Any other method of reducing the KH?

Regards
praveesh
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[mrkookm]

Originally Posted by minnu

Its the API Water Softener Pillow it says it reduces water hardness.



Regards
praveesh
[Ebay Link Removed]

Yes a water softener pillow or a small amount of DI resin in a filter bag as it's essentially the same thing API is using.

Any other method of reducing the KH?

Get a RO/DI system (best) or use distilled water and mix at 60 (distilled)/40 (tap)ratio.

[danielt]

Peat and blackwater extract will reduce kH also but it will do that slowly and maybe for a too low shrinkage than what you require. I haven't used any method as I have RO water.

[minnu]

Originally Posted by mrkookm

Yes a water softener pillow or a small amount of DI resin in a filter bag as it's essentially the same thing API is using.




Get a RO/DI system (best) or use distilled water and mix at 60 (distilled)/40 (tap)ratio.

Thanks Will try to get a RO system then, Will Mix it with Tapwater to keep the GH and KH at a lower level ... I beleive a water softener pillow needs to be recharged every 2 days if I am not wrong...

[minnu]

Originally Posted by danielt

Peat and blackwater extract will reduce kH also but it will do that slowly and maybe for a too low shrinkage than what you require. I haven't used any method as I have RO water.

I have peat in my canister but its recuved the KH and GH by just 2 degree..

I checked on the TDS, Its reading almost 480 PPM. which I beleive is a bit high?

[danielt]

I don't have a TDS meter, don't know if that's high or not. RO water has the advantage of just adding the stuff you need and leave out everything else in the proportions you want.

You can add just about anything you need increased. Baking soda for kH only, Ca&Mg for gH only. I found a lot of plants do well in low kH with CO2 gas. Some of them tolerate a high gH. Be warned that once you mess with these parameters you should *slowly* change them. I had mysterious melts from abrupt changes in gH. But also growth spurts I haven't seen before.

Limnophila Sessiliflora did well with just RO water and nothing else but Limnophila Aromatica stunted until I added Ca. after that it grew fast and bushy with lots of side shoots.

If you do decide to use only RO water start by mixing your normal water then slowly increase the percentage of RO but monitor the gH especially and supplement as required once you get to RO territory.