[danmhippo]

What does GH and KH stands for? I am assuming KH stands for carbonate hardness and GH? General Hardness?

I am wondering if we want to get softer water, is it simply lower KH? or is it GH as well?

I am using carbo plus. In theory, it will use the carbon in the block for form CO2. Will the carbo plus also helps to reduce KH already present in the water for me?

Never good in Chemistry, flunked chemistry back in Highschool, and am pulling my hair out trying to figure out how to reduce hardness of the water.

 

[KevinC]

What does GH and KH stands for? I am assuming KH stands for carbonate hardness and GH? General Hardness?.

Yes - both right.

I am wondering if we want to get softer water, is it simply lower KH? or is it GH as well? .

Just backwards - "hardness" of water is GH related. You need to remove calcium and magnesium ions from the water to make it softer.

It is fairly confusing:

KH in aquarium water is usually due to the bicarbonate ion (HCO3-), but it CAN be due to other things. So for convenience, we report the measurement as the amount of calcium carbonate you would need to dissolve in pure water to have the same buffering capacity. KH is reported as degrees or ppm of CaCO3 EQUIVALENT.

GH is due to hardwater ions - this includes Ca+2, Mg+2, Fe+3 and others. In aquariums, the Ca and Mg are at much higher levels than any of the others. Again, for convenience GH is reported as the amount of CaCO3 to dissolve to achieve the same hardness. It is reported in degrees or ppm of CaCO3 EQUIVALENT.

Notice that the units LOOK the same, but they are describing two different effects - therefore your KH and GH are two separate issues - and NOT the same number.

Kevin

 

[Laith]

Here's some good info on GH and KH:

http://aquaticconcepts.thekrib.com/

Click on the "Tech Brief: Water Chemistry" on the left menu.

More good info here as well: http://rexgrigg.com/waterchem.htm

The best way to lower both GH and KH is to use an RO (Reverse Osmosis) unit to get wat of 0 GH and KH and then add tap water until you get the desired readings.

 

[malkore]

and FYI, good luck with the carbo plus. 99% of users who tried it hated it, saw little plant improvement, and felt they got cheated.
Don't expect it to work miracles. And keep your water changes up...it eats away at your Kh, so the softer your water gets, the less it will work.