[johnpfaff]

I have a new 80gal set up, ready to do leak test on all systems. I have high light and injected CO2. Desire heavily planted tank with tetras.

I tested my water today.
Gh <1. Easy fix.
Kh = 26. I tested twice to make sure, same result each time.

I am not sure plants would live in this water.

What in heck do I do with this Kh?

Thank you for your answers.

John.

 

[pchnts8]

You may want to re-think the tank plan with 26 kH. Yikes, maybe have a fish-only African cichlid tank. Although I'm sure someone on here will tell you they've had no problem growing plants in high kH situations, but its usually recommended to be in the mid to low end. You'll need access to RO water somehow... you will likely need a RO/DI filter to have a source of pure water with zero kH. Cost around $100 - $200 with filters in the $20-$40 range.

 

[Raymond S.]

Why don't you bring your test kit to your local pet shop which you would get some
things from and ask thm to let you test their water. If their's is the same you can always get plants from them assuming they sell them. Also they may already know about this and have a solution to it.
Adding 20% RO water to your tap/changing water brings down the Ph by just over 1.
I have no test kit for high range Ph but the blue that I get when I use the low range test kit is much darker than the highest one on that kit which stops at 7.6 Ph.
So I guestimate that i is between 8 and 8.4
I add 40oz RO on top of 2g tap but take out only the 2g. End result = 6.8 Ph
So I'm taking out close to 20% but putting back 2g+40oz.
But en you would need to add that stuff that re-mineralizes it and that is as far as I can go on this one because I think you would still have a Ph problem.
I just use the RO water to regulate the Ph but since I don't use that much I only
put in a small amount of MGSO4/w the rest of my ferts each week for my shrimp
to be OK/w the water so they have no problems/w molting.

 

[jrman83]

You can cut that by using RO. Sounds like you may need about 75% and then re-mineralize the water. You'll want a higher gh anyway.

Raymond, adding 20% of RO water does not affect ph by that much. I add 50% RODI to my water changes and my ph goes down to about 7.7 from 8.2. You need a high range test kit also - levels of blue is not going to tell you anything. The test is maxed and a high range test is $5. gh/kh appear to be linear in their change...50% equals 50% reduction.

 

[Corrie]

John, a high KH and low GH is not normal water...that usually means your on city/county water and they a liming (calcium hydroxide) your water.

...try this first, put some in a bucket and aerate it for a few days

That will drive CO2 into the water and cause some of it to precipitate out.

 

[Hoppy]

Just to be clear, are we talking about 26 degrees of KH or 26 ppm of KH?

 

[Diana]

I would set up a 'home filtration' sort of thing and see how it goes.

Safe-T-Sorb, Turface and similar materials remove KH from the water.
Fill a few stockings with one of these and see how long they last. (Buy Safe-T-Sorb at Tractor Supply)
Put the stockings in a canister filter, and run this on a garbage can of water. Something like the Rubbermaid Brute, on wheels (Wheels sold separately).

I'll bet this drops the KH really well, until it (the STS) fills up. Then just refill the filter with more, new STS.

You do not even need a real canister filter. Probably get by with pumping the water through the STS any way you can. Perhaps through a bucket that has lots of holes in it.

 

[Raymond S.]

You can cut that by using RO. Sounds like you may need about 75% and then re-mineralize the water. You'll want a higher gh anyway.

Raymond, adding 20% of RO water does not affect ph by that much. I add 50% RODI to my water changes and my ph goes down to about 7.7 from 8.2. You need a high range test kit also - levels of blue is not going to tell you anything. The test is maxed and a high range test is $5. gh/kh appear to be linear in their change...50% equals 50% reduction.

I will try that. It can't hurt to know exactly how high it is anyway.
I do know it's over 7.6 and the 20% brings it to 6.8
So I will get the high range test so that I will know exactly how much it brings it down.

 

[johnpfaff]

Hoppy and all,

That's 26 degrees Kh using API Gh / Kh test kit. When I get an RO/DI unit, I will:

1. Cut my water about 2 to 1 with Ro / DI water?
2. Add enough Equlibrium to bring my Gh up to about 4 or five?
3. What else?












I'll need about 40 gal. twice a week. Bathroom right next to tank. Laundry room farther away. I do not want to premix water and lug it around, but looks like no choice in this situation.
What unit recommended for this problem?

Thanks again,

John.

 

[johnpfaff]

Anyone know why this "AquaticLife™ Four Stage RO/DI Professional Water Purification System - 100GPD Power" has been discontinued by the manufacturer? Has anyone used this system?

Suggestions appreciated.

Thanks,

John.

 

[Diana]

1. Cut my water about 2 to 1 with Ro / DI water?
2. Add enough Equlibrium to bring my Gh up to about 4 or five?
3. What else?

1) Test samples to be sure the 2:1 ratio is going to work. What is your goal? What kind of fish do you want to keep?
2) If that is the right value for your fish. Plants will use Ca and Mg, but not in great enough quantities to cause problems. Whatever suits the fish, go with that, and aim for the KH (part 1, to be about the same).
3) If you are keeping black water fish then filter the water though peat moss.

The way I did this when I ran RO:
Fill a garbage can on wheels with the right amount of RO. (depends on what tank I was working with, but 25% to 50% RO was usual- my tap water is fairly soft)
Move the can near the tank.
Top off the garbage can with warm water from the tap (long hose from bathroom) including dechlor.
Set up peat moss in nylon stocking, and small pump. Include heater. Run it overnight to make black water.
Do water change.