How do you bring down your KH?

[AngelFishGirl]

My kH is high. How do I bring that down! Thanks!

 

[Fishanatic]

How high is you're KH?

 

[Fishanatic]

Also, i know RO or a RODI will do it.

 

[DavidAl]

A high KH keeps your pH stable; it buffers against acids. I would think twice about messing with that.

David

 

[Fishanatic]

A high KH keeps your pH stable; it buffers against acids. I would think twice about messing with that.

David

Very true, but let's say someone want's to keep discus, witch requires soft water, and acidic conditions:3

 

[AngelFishGirl]

It's at 240

And I'm keeping angels, mollies, platys, tetras, and getting a rainbow shark.

 

[Corithien]

You dont need to do any thing most tank bread discus would adjust to the levels you said

 

[blert]

If I recall correctly:
1ppm = 0.056 dKH
so 240 x 0.056 =13.44 dKH

IMO, that is kind of high. If you cut your source water with good RO water at 50/50 you could bring it down to 6.72 dKH. Still plenty enough for buffering stability.

 

[phin]

You can use seachem Acid Buffer or Discus buffer. Discus buffer is a phosphate-based buffer, so it is more stable than Acid buffer, but if you have a planted tank it may lead to unwanted algae growth. Acid buffer is non-phosphate based and is made up of sulfite salts. It converts KH to CO2.

You don't need to add it daily, just enough to remove KH from your water. My tap water has a very high KH, I believe around 11 degrees, so very close to you. I added a little Acid buffer each day until I dropped my KH down to 3 degrees. With peat filtering (and now diy CO2) I have a constant pH of 6.6-6.8.

Now when I do water changes I use RO/DI water and reconstitute with seachem equilibrim and baking soda.

 

[Corithien]

Why woud you do that the fish dont need it its messing about with stuff for no reason

 

[DavidAl]

Angelfishgirl,

Let's put aside your KH for a second. What is your pH and GH?

David

 

[Corithien]

You can use seachem Acid Buffer or Discus buffer. Discus buffer is a phosphate-based buffer, so it is more stable than Acid buffer, but if you have a planted tank it may lead to unwanted algae growth. Acid buffer is non-phosphate based and is made up of sulfite salts. It converts KH to CO2.

You don't need to add it daily, just enough to remove KH from your water. My tap water has a very high KH, I believe around 11 degrees, so very close to you. I added a little Acid buffer each day until I dropped my KH down to 3 degrees. With peat filtering (and now diy CO2) I have a constant pH of 6.6-6.8.

Now when I do water changes I use RO/DI water and reconstitute with seachem equilibrim and baking soda.

What are you doing you take your nice soft ro and then put the hardnes back in I think you have had too much "advice" I run discus tanks higher gh and kh than this and never had any problems with water I use no ro water at all

 

[blert]

While I believe that the use of the store bought chemicals is usually a bad idea...
Just FYI for you folks jumping phin... Some people enjoy mixing their water to specific values. If you have the time and can continue the regimen on a regular basis so as to not compromise stability then go for it. There are many people that spend large amounts of time to get their saltwater just right, so why not do the same for fresh if you have the time and resources. IOW, get over yourselves folks, if the OP wants to adjust things and they feel they can handle it long term then stop with the bashing.

 

[phin]

What are you doing you take your nice soft ro and then put the hardnes back in I think you have had too much "advice" I run discus tanks higher gh and kh than this and never had any problems with water I use no ro water at all

My "nice soft RO" has 0 KH and 0 GH. Thats not safe water for my fish or healthy water for my plants. I add baking soda back into my 0 KH RO/DI water to bring KH to 3 degrees, to give me some buffering capacity against the acids in my tank (peat=humic acid, co2=carbonic acid). I am able to achieve a pH of 6.6-6.8 (slightly acidic) and maintain this pH withough swings or fluctuations which are dangerous to my fish.

Fish require minerals in the water for proper gill function and osmosis. Plants require minerals in the water as a nutrient source. By adding a carefully measured dose - to the 0.1 gram - of Seachem Equilibrium to my RO/DI water (0 GH = no minerals) I bring my GH to a level I desire. I am targeting 6 GH. Seachem equilibrium is composed of potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, and calcium. All of these minerals are beneficial to my plants.

My tap water is very alkaline and very hard (KH=11, GH=14) I can cut it with 70% RODI and 30% tap to achieve a KH of ~3 degrees and a GH of ~4 degrees, but I don't know what minerals compose the GH & KH of my tap water, do you?

In addition, if I want a specific level of KH and GH, it is impossible for me to do that by just miximg my tap with RODI because I need to decrease the levels of GH & KH from the tap by different percentages.

I maintained this same tank for years on straight tap water. The growth of my plants plateaued, I had some nasty BBA, and quite frankly, I got bored with the tank. I also desire to mimic the specific properties the fish and plants I have in my tank live in in the wild. I know my fish are tank bread and may not even notice, and I fully know they will adjust to my tap (they have for years), but achieving the parameters these species are found in the wild may benefit them, it certainly doesn't harm them. In addition, my plants are certain to benefit from an exact, targeted, mineral and nutrient balance.

I see no problem with what I am doing, in fact I enjoy it, my fish and plants are thriving, and my parameters are stable and safe.

So, really, whats your problem?

 

[phin]

My kH is high. How do I bring that down! Thanks!

Just to reiterate, you asked about bringing down KH. I gave an answer, use seachem Acid Buffer. The primary purpose of this is to turn KH into CO2. You only have to add it daily until your target KH is achieved and then you don't have to mess with it again.

of course you need to adjust the water you use for water changes by some method.

If you want to read about it for yourself and make up your own mind you can look it up here.

Seachem. Acid Buffer

Using Acid Buffer worked for me, it was easy and I recommend it.

You can look up equilibrium here
Freshwater Aquarium Water Conditioners for RO Water: Seachem Equilibrium RO Water Conditioner

 

[Corithien]

Just seems strange to do it with chemicals especially if you know how to do it mixing tap the composition of the mineral

 

[phin]

Just seems strange to do it with chemicals especially if you know how to do it mixing tap the composition of the mineral

I've already done it. My tank KH is low. I don't need to use acid buffer or "chemicals" anymore. when I do a water change I add baking soda and equilibrium - all of which would be considererd minerals. I can either measure a specific dose of baking soda and equilibrium and add that to my RODI water and know exactly what I'm adding into my tank and what the water parameters are or I can mix buckets of water, without knowing what minerals are being added to my tank from my tap, attempting to achieve target numbers but, tap water parameters fluctuate, so really there is no way to know exactly, oh and mix buckets of water which is more time consuming and messy than measureing a couple grams of powder.

You do what you want. My method makes sense to me, is quick, easy, no buckets, no water sloshing, I know exactly what my water contains when I add it. So again, whats the problem?

 

[Corithien]

Makeup should not effect the fish or extra chemicals used to stabilise ph wasent having a go just seemed like the hard way to do it and not giving much if any advantage

 

[Corithien]

Sorry hit send halfway through

 

[phin]

Makeup should not effect the fish or extra chemicals used to stabilise ph wasent having a go just seemed like the hard way to do it and not giving much if any advantage

see my post above. I've explained the advantage. I also explained to you that the mineral balance was centered around plants, not fish, but that fish also require minerals in the water.

The advantage is that it is easy, safe, stable & precise.

Do you know the mineral composition of your water? I know mine, I would say thats an advantage right there.