Hi pH, low KH

[Aqua Marie]

Hello, I just started a nano tank with three male guppies. It is aquascaped with just seiryu stones. I have aqua complete soil (which I hate, but that is another topic) and it is planted. I do not have CO2. My tank cycled and I've been sitting at a pH of 8 with GH and KH of 6.

I read the blog about guppies, and realized I needed to raise my GH and KH. I added one small wonder shell, an almond leaf, and the guppies all at the same time. My pH has not changed nor has my KH, but my GH went up to 9. Small victory!

When I was at my LFS, they looked at me like I was crazy: there was no way I could have a high pH with low hardness. They wouldn't sell me anything. 

What are your thoughts? Do I need to get the KH up for guppies, or should I not worry about it? Is there something that can help the tank?

[Colu]

It could the stones you have your tank rising your pH  to rise your kH GH a put crushed oyster shell in filter bag be aware it will rise your pH as well

[Paul]

Try adding some Aragonite to a mesh filter bag. It will help buffer your water and bump up your pH some. This will not happen over night so give it some time. 

Aragonite and PH? - The Planted Tank Forum

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So I want to do a shellie cichlid tank with some needle and windelov java. My LFS stocks cichlids at 8.2. They are adamant about me raising my ph to

 You can also add some small pieces of flagstone. With all that being said once you start chasing pH you won't stop.

 

Edited December 15, 2020 by Paul

[Coronal Mass Ejection Carl]

You can have high pH with low-ish kH if your tap water has sodium hydroxide added to it as an anti-corrosion measure.

[Aqua Marie]

So, I checked with our local water supply, and they claim they don't add anything besides chlorine, or at least not publicly. I was so hoping for sodium hydroxide to make sense of this. 

[tolstoy21]

GH hardiness is unrelated to Ph. Ph is normally a result oh your KH levels.

My tap water sits about 9 GH but has a ph in the 6.6 - 6.8 range.

As some else suggested aragonite will buffer your water but I’m not sure how much higher above 8 ph it will push you. I kind of feel it tops out at 8.2, or at least that’s my experience in my water. Not sure how it influences GH. I find crush corals and Aragonite influence that a little bit and have more an impact on KH, being primarily used as a Ph buffer.

A product like Equilibrium, which is just powered mineral additive, can raise your GH to wherever you want depending on your dosage levels and don’t impact KH at all, if that’s your goal.  

[Steph’s Fish and Plants]

A Kh of 6 is fine for guppies, and having bumped your Gh up they should be fine. Any babies you raise will also do 10x better in your water bc that’s what they’ve been in all their life. Chasing parameters often times causes more stress to fish than the original parameters. I buffer my Kh because out of my tap it’s a 0-2 and so my pH will likely drop and cause issues with ammonia and the cycle. Really the only reason I’d consider changing anything else in your case would be for African cichlids, but your water sounds just fine for guppies for me. I would imagine that the Seiryu stone could be at fault for the confusion with the “lower” Kh (tho 6 is more mid range and is what we keep the store water at (I work at my LFS)) in comparison to the pH. Over time you may find the pH drops a bit if you don’t do anything to it. But at 6 it shouldn’t drop too much, if at all. As for why your LFS wouldn’t sell you anything, that’s a bit odd 🧐

[tolstoy21]

7 minutes ago, Steph’s Fish and Plants said:

I buffer my Kh because out of my tap it’s a 0-2 and so my pH will likely drop and cause issues with ammonia and the cycle. Really the only reason I’d consider changing anything else in your case would be for African cichlids

Totally agree. I have 0 KH as well and run three tank scenarios. Leave water alone for soft water fish. Others get some crushed coral for a ph of 7.2 ish. African Cichlids get aragonite sand for a higher ph.

I find this super easy to implement and stable.

I just leave my GH alone which is 9 out of the tap.

Edited December 17, 2020 by tolstoy21