Soft Water Gh/Kh low Ph: invertebrates

[DebD]

My tap water is soft. 30 TDS. 1st photo Tap that sat overnight.

2nd My regular tanks that have Driftwood and/or catappa leaves 

3rd My Shrimp tank after adding Baking soda to raise Kh back up. Wood and catappa 

I was given 2 nerite snails. I'd like to add a few snails and leaf litter to a couple tanks.

In my shrimp tank I also use Aqueon Shrimp Essentials for minerals and have success w/molt and babies . I'm concerned that about Ph craziness and how I can at least maintain a Ph of 6.8. 

Is Seachem Equilibrium something I should consider or other additives ? 

I know its not good to chase parameters but these are rather low. It's been great for breeding my cory metae and bristlenose but w/wood and leaves I worry it will get too low. 

[Mmiller2001]

Equilibrium is for GH, and it also contains other salts. It's an okay product that will raise GH, but it will also add potassium and iron. So if you just want to boost GH, I'd recommend plain old Calcium and Magnesium in a 2:1 ratio. That's the cheapest route.

Salty shrimp is a product that will boost both KH and GH in a ratio. However, it's very expensive and is inferior to plain old Calcium and Magnesium.

If you want to raise just KH, I recommend potassium carbonate, it's cheap, easy to measure and easily purchased from Amazon. 

If you learn to chase numbers, you eventually learn to set them. And learning how these numbers impact your water is very beneficial.

[DebD]

On 7/16/2021 at 1:15 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

Equilibrium is for GH, and it also contains other salts. It's an okay product that will raise GH, but it will also add potassium and iron. So if you just want to boost GH, I'd recommend plain old Calcium and Magnesium in a 2:1 ratio. That's the cheapest route.

Salty shrimp is a product that will boost both KH and GH in a ratio. However, it's very expensive and is inferior to plain old Calcium and Magnesium.

If you want to raise just KH, I recommend potassium carbonate, it's cheap, easy to measure and easily purchased from Amazon. 

If you learn to chase numbers, you eventually learn to set them. And learning how these numbers impact your water is very beneficial.

As you see a few hrs after a w/c there is virtually no Kh registering. (Pic#2). Are you saying its just gradually adding potassium & calcium until its bumped up a little. I've actually used Tums for adding calcium.

I'm afraid of Ph dropping too low w/catappa for my shrimp & plecos fry.  The wood is in every one of my tanks. Because of my water I'm running all S American tanks/fish. 

I just finished cycling a new 40 & was debating on adding leaf litter. Would oak leaves be better ? 

 

Thanks for the video. Going to watch this after I'm done my w/c for the day. 🙂

Edited July 16, 2021 by DebD

[Guppysnail]

On 7/16/2021 at 1:15 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

Equilibrium is for GH, and it also contains other salts. It's an okay product that will raise GH, but it will also add potassium and iron. So if you just want to boost GH, I'd recommend plain old Calcium and Magnesium in a 2:1 ratio. That's the cheapest route.

Salty shrimp is a product that will boost both KH and GH in a ratio. However, it's very expensive and is inferior to plain old Calcium and Magnesium.

If you want to raise just KH, I recommend potassium carbonate, it's cheap, easy to measure and easily purchased from Amazon. 

If you learn to chase numbers, you eventually learn to set them. And learning how these numbers impact your water is very beneficial.

I agree on equilibrium you could throw in some wondershells as well

[Mmiller2001]

On 7/16/2021 at 12:04 PM, DebD said:

As you see a few hrs after a w/c there is virtually no Kh registering. (Pic#2). Are you saying its just gradually adding potassium & calcium until its bumped up a little. I've actually used Tums for adding calcium.

I'm afraid of Ph dropping too low w/catappa for my shrimp & plecos fry.  The wood is in every one of my tanks. Because of my water I'm running all S American tanks/fish. 

I just finished cycling a new 40 & was debating on adding leaf litter. Would oak leaves be better ? 

 

Thanks for the video. Going to watch this after I'm done my w/c for the day. 🙂

My experience with oak leaves is that they never really break down. Is that bad or good? Dunno, but shrimp never eat them.

I would boost my source water. Meaning, if I had a 5 gallon bucket to use for water change, I would boost GH and KH in the bucket and then do my water changes. That will raise your numbers slowly.

For me, and not to get too technical, if I just wanted to raise GH and KH by no more than 1.5dhardness, I would just dose the tank directly.

What kind of shrimp do you have?

[DebD]

On 7/16/2021 at 2:41 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

My experience with oak leaves is that they never really break down. Is that bad or good? Dunno, but shrimp never eat them.

I would boost my source water. Meaning, if I had a 5 gallon bucket to use for water change, I would boost GH and KH in the bucket and then do my water changes. That will raise your numbers slowly.

For me, and not to get too technical, if I just wanted to raise GH and KH by no more than 1.5dhardness, I would just dose the tank directly.

What kind of shrimp do you have?

I have cherry shrimp and recently new babies. I also have 2 nerite snails. I would like to get more and also put culls in another tank. I also wanted to use leaf litter for my newly cycled 40. 

I also use catappa for my cory eggs and both bn pleco & cory fry.  The plecos love the biofilm that grows on them. 

Would boiling them 10 min or so tone down their reducing properties w/o destroying much of the needed nutrients?

Edited July 16, 2021 by DebD

[Mmiller2001]

On 7/16/2021 at 2:41 PM, DebD said:

I have cherry shrimp and recently new babies. I also have 2 nerite snails. I would like to get more and also put culls in another tank. I also wanted to use leaf litter for my newly cycled 40. 

I also use catappa for my cory eggs and both bn pleco & cory fry.  The plecos love the biofilm that grows on them. 

Would boiling them 10 min or so tone down their reducing properties w/o destroying much of the needed nutrients?

The oak leaves? I boiled mine and some are still in the tank from over a year ago! Catappa are just better over all. But just my opinion.