CO2 and Hardwater problem?

[1077]

Have been reading much lately wile trying to learn about CO2 application and component's needed, and came across an article that suggested that carbonate salt's such as often found in hard water, will quickly latch onto any dissolved CO2 making it more difficult for some plant's to utilize the relatively small amounts of CO2 in Non CO2 injected tanks (CO2 from fishes,biological activity).
Statement was made in passing while describing effect's of hard water on some soft water species of fishes and plants ,and I am trying to find more info as to whether this has been discussed or expieriment's performed to help me to better understand.
If statement is true,,,then it would seem that this would be even more of a reason to lay off regular water changes in low tech,low light,low maint tanks with hard water from plant's point of view or,,,would it not?
Welcome all thoughts.and Many thanks in advance for any enlightenment.

 

[dutchy]

You first have to ask yourself "What is hard water"? Hard water means high GH, not high KH. The toleration of plants is quite a wide area. While there are plants that only tolerate very low GH, most plants can grow very well at GH's up to 13 or more. Same for KH.

The reason to not doing water changes is, as far as I know, more about non-CO2 tanks, where plants are not temporarily spoiled by new CO2 richer water and keep changing their enzymes to accomodate.

 

[1077]

Thanks dutchy,
I would consider hard water 200 ppm GH or more. I understand about the water changes in non co2 tanks (ie) CO2 fluctuations from CO2 perhaps in source water compared to much lower amount in aquarium absent CO2 injection.I guess my question is.. do carbonate salts such as those found in my 200 ppmGH water from tap ,work to deplete already low concentration of CO2 in my non CO2 injected tank?

 

[dutchy]

High GH does not deplete CO2, since GH consists of Ca++ and KH is CaCO3. With increased GH CO2 will bind to CaCO3, which will also raise KH and is where the plant gets it's C-source from in non CO2 tanks.

(If wrong, pls correct, anyone....)