Ph, Kh, and Gh- Preferences and techniques

[Mmiller2001]

On 9/29/2023 at 12:38 AM, Galabar said:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/krill

Also, calcium is an essential plant nutrient and your plants are doing very well... 🙂

So, whatever you are doing you are adding enough nutrients, minerals, etc. (calcium, magnesium, including carbonate salts) to make a very healthy tank.

Where are the carbonate salts coming from?

[Biotope Biologist]

Please take this to the DMs

 

@schmofam is asking about their water parameters and potentially what these parameters mean. This conversation is both inaccurate and detracting from OP.

 

Aquatic Plants can derive ‘essential’ nutrients from both the water around them or the soils. Keep in mind essential is the biology term meaning they cannot produce it themselves. Not that it is required. In fact most essential nutrients like cobalt and manganese are required in such small concentrations that any amount of fertilizer over 1 microliter solutions is overkill and can potentially poison the plant. The tank is beautiful and the plants are clearly happy with whatever you are doing. 

[Mmiller2001]

@Galabar

I stand corrected, no tank is truly 0dKH. Thank you for the information. Looks like another rabbit hole to explore.

[schmofam]

On 9/28/2023 at 8:59 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

Heres my tank at 0dKH

That is one beautiful tank, my friend.

[Mmiller2001]

On 9/28/2023 at 1:50 PM, schmofam said:

Other ideas on how to raise the Kh and Ph given my constraints?

Another option is to use something like potassium carbonate. It’s super cheap and works well for planted tanks. It will add some extra potassium to the water as well. It might hasten the Aqua soil from endlessly pulling KH from the column. Easy to measure and can target a specific KH.

[schmofam]

On 9/29/2023 at 8:49 AM, Biotope Biologist said:

The tank is beautiful and the plants are clearly happy with whatever you are doing. 

Thank you. When initially setting up the tank and planting I added root tabs and some Easy Green. I transferred over all the plants from my old 10-gallon tank and a few were bought from About Fish here in Westminster. What I have noticed the most is the Banana Lilies had stayed at the bottom of my old tank with a gravel substrate. When moved almost immediately they started shooting long roots and one started floating as well.