Water..........

[BuzzDaddy21]

I can guess that there might be several posts about water, but I keep checking my water and most things are ok, I think. 

When I use test strips, they show my ph. is like 6.4 - 6.8, when I do the drops, it shows between 7.4 - 7.8. my water is very soft.

My GH is like 0 yes soft.............KH is 0.......I admit I know nothing of water chemistry. (Nitrates under 20ppm - nitrites 0 for the most part and chlorine 0.)

I ask this because I`ve had a few shrimp molt and one died but weeks apart of different types.

 Now I`m not too smart but it would seem that shrimp would not molt, and more shrimp/fish would die.

Those numbers are for all my tanks even the newly set up tanks, two are empty and one has baby guppies/snails.

I have watched videos on this subject; however, most goes over my head, or I don`t take time to absorb the information.

I`m open to all advice and criticism.

Thanks all.

[Mmiller2001]

You will need to add minerals for sure. SaltyShrimp makes a GH/KH combo. Expensive but easy to use.

[Patrick_G]

Yes, you’ll need to raise the hardness. You can use a power like @Mmiller2001mentioned or Wonder Shell or you can add crushed coral to your tanks. I’ve tried all three but settled on the crushed coral for now. 

[laritheloud]

If you use buckets to fill your tanks, definitely use SaltyShrimp remineralizer. I picked up some GH+ from Salty Shrimp and use it on my shrimp tank to get a precise GH. Great stuff! But you should mix it into your bucket of water that you'll be adding for your water change and not directly to the tank.

Adding crushed coral to your filter would be smart for stable KH, too. Since your water is soft enough to have basically no minerals in it, I'm not sure WonderShells are precise enough to target a stable GH level, but you can try it out if you don't want to add powders to your buckets of fresh water.

[lefty o]

could probably use some calcium in the water. needed by both shrimp, and fish.

[BuzzDaddy21]

On 1/20/2022 at 4:20 PM, Patrick_G said:

crushed coral

I have some of this, what's the best way to add.

I will check out salty shrimp.

On 1/20/2022 at 4:57 PM, laritheloud said:

crushed coral to your filter

I`m so new at a canister, this would be interesting.😕 

[lefty o]

On 1/20/2022 at 4:51 PM, BuzzDaddy21 said:

I have some of this, what's the best way to add.

I will check out salty shrimp.

I`m so new at a canister, this would be interesting.😕 

you can also mix crushed coral into your substrate. as long as it is in the aquariums water, it will do what its supposed to.

[Patrick_G]

@BuzzDaddy21, I put the crushed coral in a filter bag and either put it in my filter chamber or just hide the bag in the tank. In future tanks I’ll mix it into the substrate.

Edited January 21, 2022 by Patrick_G