Trying to stabalize PH/KH

[tnnlynch]

My water is rock hard but my PH and KH vary depending on the season from the tap. Ph 6.8-7.2 with KH 60-100.  I add the occasional wondershell for my shrimp and snails and have crushed coral in my hob(s). My PH and KH still drop in all of my planted tanks with KH hitting 0 in about 8 days.  I use baking soda in my daphnia tank to keep higher ph but am hesitant to do that in my other tanks.   My fish seem fine in general but I was looking to increase the interval between water changes to allow me to go on vacation and minimize the potential impact on the fish ignorant friend taking care of the tank.

I know @Mmiller2001 mentioned potassium carbonate in another thread.  I saw a few dosing guides on the net but have not had a chance to compare them.

Edited February 14, 2022 by tnnlynch

[Mmiller2001]

On 2/14/2022 at 3:21 PM, tnnlynch said:

My water is rock hard but my PH and KH vary depending on the season from the tap. Ph 6.8-7.2 with KH 60-100.  I add the occasional wondershell for my shrimp and snails and have crushed coral in my hob(s). My PH and KH still drop in all of my planted tanks with KH hitting 0 in about 8 days.  I use baking soda in my daphnia tank to keep higher ph but am hesitant to do that in my other tanks.   My fish seem fine in general but I was looking to increase the interval between water changes to allow me to go on vacation and minimize the potential impact on the fish ignorant friend taking care of the tank.

I know @Mmiller2001 mentioned potassium carbonate in another thread.  I saw a few dosing guides on the net but have not had a chance to compare them.

Oh, what substrate are you using?

[tnnlynch]

Eco complete in my 29g (1 year old).  Gravel in my smaller tanks.  No co2.
 

[Greg Stewart]

Plants do use dissolved inorganic carbon in combination with CO2 to aid in photosynthesis. So, if your plant are doing well, that could be the culprit for your diminishing KH.

In addition to the wondershell, you can dose with Seachem Equilibrium to help feed to the plants.

In regulating pH, you can try using certain wood or rock to help stablise it--which direction(s) does it travel, how often, and is it during one time of day more than another?

You mentioned you don't use CO2 (which will lower pH), so that's one possible culprit down.

If "natural" methods don't help with the pH swings, you could try Seachem's Neutral Regulator. I use this to both buffer pH to 7.0, and as a water conditioner (it does both).

 

[Mmiller2001]

Hmm, seems too fast to move so quickly (KH). Personally, I would just dose potassium carbonate mid week. It's dirt cheap, easy to measure and adds a bit of potassium as well. It only alters KH where the other methods alter GH and KH (wonder shell/crushed coral).

CellarScience - AD640LB Potassium Carbonate (lb) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074D9BXRT/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_PY2JNC4KWFAMTJ7P6RH1

[tnnlynch]

To be more specific, my reasonably heavily planted 29g with eco complete moves much slower.  I only drops about 20-30 KH in a week.  My 10g with a gravel substrate (java fern, moss, anubius, frogbit and as of this week some crypts) is the tank that plummets to 0 in 8 days.  I keep the frogbit to one small corner but it does replicate quickly.  I also had too many apple snails in this tank until yesterday (missed a clutch that hatched).   Not sure if that changes anyone's thoughts.

I ordered some potassium carbonate to experiment with.  Thanks for the suggestions.

[Mmiller2001]

You can always run 0dKH. 

On 2/14/2022 at 6:28 PM, tnnlynch said:

ordered some potassium carbonate to experiment with.  Thanks for the suggestions

Rotalabutterfly is what I use to calculate it.