Rising Ph without affecting KH/HG

[alexbn024]

Hello,

I am facing a dilemma. My new tank (20G, 2x24W T5HO, 10hrs/day, CO2 30ppm) with a soil sublayer, has Ph ~6.0 with Kh = 5dKh, Gh = 5.0dGh, TDS ~126ppm. Straight from the tap Ph is 6.6, and that is the value I would like to have in the tank, or somewhere between 6.4-6.6 as I am planning to have shrimps there (I will need to lower Kh a bit as well, but that is another story). I have Seachem Acid/Alkaline Buffer and Equilibrium. What concerned me is that I can't figure out the rate with which Kh is transferred to CO2 (as per manufacture description) and basically I am not sure if I set the ration to 1:1.3 I'll get Ph to 6.5 but will keep Kh, Gh at 5.0dK(G)h or lower.

Can anybody help figuring these things out?

Thanks!

Alex

 

[Gbark]

I'm not sure if i can answer this question for you, but here goes

If you start with a pH of 6.6 your tap water, then add CO2 your pH goes down. This is beacause of the cemical reaction with CO2 and water, therfore making a weak acid. To raise your pH you would then have to raise the kH.

The pH/kH table should help you!

I can't see how you will get the pH to rise without raising kH or reducing CO2.

Which shrimps are you planning on keeping, all mine do fine with a pH as low as 5.6 sometimes.

 

[Biollante]

Information Please

Hi,

Geoff is correct, a definitional kinda thing.

What are the units of KH and GH, “5” what?

What is the TDS unit 126, what, ppm?

What is the significance of “5” whatever GH and KH?

If you have to change the KH to meet your pH goals does the GH have to remain equal to KH and if so, why?

Is your water from Japan Gulch Plant or the Sooke plant?

Biollante

 

[alexbn024]

Thanks Gbark, Bio,

It makes more sense now. I'll get my hands on pH/kH table! Regarding shrimps, i am planning to get Crystal Red Shrimps(CRS) and Amano, for now. I was more worried about plants though, as pH 6, from what I read, might be too acid for my Echinodoruses, HC and L. mauritiana

Bio, you made me think "where in Japan do I live" haha, then I read Sooke So, I looked at few maps at crd.bc.ca, ant it seems like the line from Japan Gulch plant leads to the city of Victoria. I also corrected units in the OP, KH/GH were in dK(G)H units, TDS in ppm, sorry about that, that what happens when you work too much with non dimensional units

Regarding the numbers, here is what I had in my mind. I read that CRS require KH at ~1dKH, and GH ~4dGH, while pH at 6.6 Since my KH/GH were at 5dK(G)H, I thought I can lower kH with RO/DI water while keeping Gh at the same level by using Mosura minerals or equilibrium(to help with molting). What puzzled me at that time was pH, I guess I did not think it can drop that far just from CO2. I guess, I'll just bite a bullet and see what happens.

 

[Biollante]

A Lot of Folks With RO Do Not Have As Good Water As You Have From the Tap

Hi,

I am curious where did you read Cherry Red Shrimp (CRS), inbred Neocaridina heteropoda require ~1dKH, and GH ~4dGH?

A mature tank is a distinct advantage as is good water conditions, but as far as I can tell CRS do not give a toss about general hardness, unless it is too low and alkalinity the only concern would be that it didn’t have enough buffering capacity to keep the pH reasonably stable.

I think your 5-dKH; 5-dGH is going to be just fine.
I find ammonia spikes in new tanks and large adjustments in injected CO[SUB]2[/SUB] are far more dangerous to CRS, most shrimp than GH and KH levels.
As to the plants, my main concern would be the size and aggressive nature of many of the Swords.
I suspect you will find your pH drifts up a bit once in the tank for a few hours.
​

How are you arriving at the numbers you are giving?

• As far as I can tell your pH should be about neutral,
• TDS should be more like 28-ppm and
• your alkalinity should be around 0.8-dKH, in my ever-humble-potted-plant opinion is too low.
• General hardness should be right around 1-dGH, again in my ever-humble-potted-plant opinion is too low.

There are less expensive ways to get higher KH and GH , which, is the “molting aid” you need.

Biollante

 

[mike]

Hi Biollante,

I always like reading your contributions, I found they have help me tremendously.

There are less expensive ways to get higher KH and GH , which, is the “molting aid” you need.

What less expensive ways are there to get higher KH and GH?

Thank you,

Mike

 

[Gbark]

Thanks Gbark, Bio,

i am planning to get Crystal Red Shrimps(CRS)

Do you mean Red bee shrimp (caridina cf.) or cherry shrimp (Neocaridina heteropoda ).

I would not worry either way, as i have both in my tanks and they do just fine

 

[alexbn024]

Do you mean Red bee shrimp (caridina cf.) or cherry shrimp (Neocaridina heteropoda ).

I think the first ones, Red bee shrimp, white with red strips

 

[alexbn024]

Hi Bio,

Regarding my numbers. As you probably can clearly see I am only a beginner so, lots of things, ideas, assumptions are based not on my experience, but rather on some source I found, and which sounded credible With shrimps, I read through several threads here and coincidentally I found that several people mentioned 1dKh and 4dGh plus 6.6 pH for Crystal Red Shrimps (caridina cf.). So I thought it was important

Ok, back to numbers

I measure KH/GH with API test set, for TDS I use Milwaukee CD 97 meter. You were right about both KH/GH and TDS in tap water, it is 28ppm; KH/GH in tap water between 1-2 dKh and between 2-3 dGh, based on my test kit (minus error and once gets sloe to your numbers). The numbers I wrote were from testing tank water.

By the way, what do you mean by "As to the plants, my main concern would be the size and aggressive nature of many of the Swords."? Is it with respect to other plants or shrimps?

Alex