Help with water hardness and PH.

[ComicNinja]

I have an established 5.5G with a few endler's livebearers in it. These fish, in the wild, prefer harder and more basic water. They've been doing quite well over the months but I would like to give them the best life I can. Because my house has a water softener, the water coming out of the taps (and thus into their tank)is very soft, a GH of around 10, KH of around 200 and a PH just under 7. My tanks GH/KH are roughly the same and the PH is closer to 8.

How can I raise my GH while maintaining my KH and PH? All the articles I've found don't really consider my situation and I don't know where else to find this information.

Also, I realize that fish are very adaptable creatures and will continue to live just fine in the water they're in so long as it's stable. I still want to try to slowly raise their GH to a more ideal level. I love the buggers and want them to be as stress free and happy as possible

 

[coralbandit]

Many add baking soda to raise hardness.
I remineralize my ro with calcium,mg.
Many safely slowly raise their hardness with a cuttle bone found in bird section of pet stores.

 

[ComicNinja]

Many add baking soda to raise hardness.
I remineralize my ro with calcium,mg.
Many safely slowly raise their hardness with a cuttle bone found in bird section of pet stores.

Will this method effect PH though?

 

[nirbhao]

Will this method effect PH though?

It's actually a self stabilizing situation. The lower the pH, the faster the cuttlebone will dissolve. The higher, the slower.

Baking soda increases pH. Epsom salts don't.

 

[ComicNinja]

It's actually a self stabilizing situation. The lower the pH, the faster the cuttlebone will dissolve. The higher, the slower.

Baking soda increases pH. Epsom salts don't.

What exactly is the relationship between gh and ph? Does a higher gh mean higher ph or...? Does kh effect it at all other than keeping ph more stable?

 

[nirbhao]

A very thorough article: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumKH.html

 

[coralbandit]

IMO besides the 'buffers' I mentioned any thing else besides crushed coral is just wrong.
You use RO, RO/DI if abosutely necessary [like in reefs],or to cut your tap/source water.
I would not go adding things with out a solid understanding of the effects,especially on such a small tank.5.5 is not a lot and some chemicals/buffers act slowly or have different re acctions as conditions change as mentioned.She just posted great read^^^^.
You should experiment in a bucket and measure carefully.
I make my remineralized RO in a 32g rubbermaid...1/2 teaspoon CA and 1/4teaspoon MG for 32gallons.....
A little goes a long way...
Your water did not seem so far off for livebearers? I do swords in my tap 7.6pH/2kH/9gH 350+ TDS
IMO without TDS you are still missing a part of the picture of your water.

 

[ComicNinja]

Thanks for all the help! I'll be sure to read that article next time I have the time and before I actually add anything to the tank.