Plants using all the water hardness

[Ryzilla]

Well my tap ph is 7.4 and the Kh is 6.5ppm. I never do water changes. My water is crystal clear and ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are 0. The problem is my plants suck all the hardness out of the water and my ph drops to 6 (but maybe lower since the test stops at 6). Whats the best way to keep the hardness? Also there is 50w of light over this 38 and I dose nothing.

[fshfanatic]

Originally Posted by Ryzilla

Whats the best way to keep the hardness?

I wish I knew to help. However this made me laugh.

[bigstick120]

You can add Epsom salt, and CACL2 to up your GH, I would say around a 1/2 tsp. Epsom and 3/4 tsp CACL2. Not doing water changes is why you have no GH. Are the plants doing OK, no NO3 could be the problem as well, even with very little light the plants still need some NO3

[Ryzilla]

Originally Posted by bigstick120

You can add Epsom salt, and CACL2 to up your GH, I would say around a 1/2 tsp. Epsom and 3/4 tsp CACL2. Not doing water changes is why you have no GH. Are the plants doing OK, no NO3 could be the problem as well, even with very little light the plants still need some NO3

All plants are healthy and look great, the only plant that isnt super happy is the oriental sword. They hygro grows alot 2/3 of the backround is giant hygro and the 1/3 is bolblitis. The crypts in the foreground are also very happy. The java windelov grows like a normal windelv. I dont want to up the GH I want to sustain it. Do you think Excel dosing will avoid the stripping of the hardness? Maybe ill buy a 4L. My angel pair is also very happy and spawn every other week like clockwork.

Originally Posted by fshfanatic

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryzilla
Whats the best way to keep the hardness?

I wish I knew to help. However this made me laugh.

Atleast you didnt respond, "with viagra"

[bigstick120]

Excel wont do anything to up the GH of the tank, the only way I know how is what I recommended, you said you dont dose, so what you could do is dose what I recomended. I think that will keep your GH levels constent if you break it up into smaller doses

[Ryzilla]

you dont think that the carbon taken up through every other day excel dosing will prevent the plants taking up the hardness from the tap water

[fshfanatic]

I thought about it...

[mrbelvedere]

Originally Posted by fshfanatic

I thought about it...

Use Cialis. My dad calls it the weekender......ewwwwwwwww.......

[cornhusker]

You know what they say,"if it aint broke don't fix it" . i would continue doing just what works good for you and leave well enough alone. regards,cornhusker

[lumpyfunk]

From what I understand, some plants can pull carbon out of carbonates, I believe corkscrew vals to be one, I have never heard about hygro or crypts doing this however.

Mrbelvedere. . . . The weekender. . . .that is funny! I bet the look on your face the first time you heard him say that was priceless!

[sandiegoryu]

hey remember there are some kids here...

And how much plant mass do you have in your tank to actually decrease your hardness?!!?! I have hard water, and it seems like most shrimp like soft water... Geeze.

[Ryzilla]

Originally Posted by sandiegoryu

hey remember there are some kids here...

And how much plant mass do you have in your tank to actually decrease your hardness?!!?! I have hard water, and it seems like most shrimp like soft water... Geeze.

I have 2/3 of my 38g's backround in giant hygo. And the rest is masive bolbitis and windelov plants. Some crypts and anubias in the front.

[kzr750r1]

Originally Posted by Ryzilla

you dont think that the carbon taken up through every other day excel dosing will prevent the plants taking up the hardness from the tap water

If you need to up the hardness a bit use the Epsome salts for Mg and ther are several sources for Ca. You dont have to add it every day but a pinch once a week should do fine if this is really working for you.

I'd be supprised if you didn't have signs of leaf curling on the Hygro with no Ca or Mg. Not to mention no NO3 or PO4. I have added all in moderation to a low light 10g with no ill effects.

My big tank is driving the plants to grow fairly quick and without maintaining the hardness it is quickly depleated, so the plants suffer.

Good luck sounds like a great low maintence setup.

[defishfan]

I had the same problem when I first started my 15gallon. I was going through almost 1/4 tsp of baking soda a day, just trying to keep the carbonate up. What I ended up doing was letting the hardness and pH drop, and doing frequent small water changes. Eventually, whatever was chewing through the carbonate ran out, and it's been fine for months. Recently, I got a bit behind on water changes, and it dropped back again, so I'm playing catch-up right now. Hope this helps some.

[BSS]

Hmmm. Maybe I'm missing something, but are you concerned with the hardness (GH, Mg, Ca) or with your carbonates (KH and dropping pH)? It seems like the pH drop was your bigger concern, yet most of the posts target a problem with the GH, which I'm not sure you stated to be a problem.