5-gallon water parameters

[miles]

I'm just trying to foresee all the problems I might have with my 5 gal setup, and the most obvious seems to be unstable water parameters. What's the most natural way could I go about maintaining a healthy kH to prevent the dreaded pH drop in my tiny tank?

If all else fails I've heard baking soda works - is it safe? (is there any specific kind or brand to use)? My tap water is a little on the acidic side anyway, and the fish I want to keep (bumblebee gobies) are supposed to like their water slightly alkaline, so that should help with the pH itself as well. Would this really be necessary? My tap water has kH of about 30. Would the adjustment be stable or would I have to be constantly micromanaging (between weekly/biweekly water changes) the pH and gH if I chose to use baking soda? Is this website I found for measuring the dosage reliable?

 

[blert]

Crushed coral in a media bag in the filter would help. Just start with a pinch or two and monitor it for a few days. Add a pinch more if needed and monitor again. 'Rinse and repeat' until you reach your desired stability. The coral will need replenishment over time as it dissolves.

Wait for more info from other folks though, they may have better ideas.

 

[librarygirl]

I'd say if you aren't experiencing fluctuations then leave it alone. At most, add the crushed coral (literally a very small pinch in a tank that small) to your filter. If you start adding chemicals you'd need to re-add them with water changes and keep monitoring and it also might build up in the water over time causing more fluctuations and if you add too much or too little with a pwc it can cause more fluctuations...I'd avoid adding chemicals of any kind.

 

[miles]

So if it's not broken don't fix it - makes perfect sense. It sounds like regular baking soda use would just create a lot of unnecessary work for me. I'll keep the crushed coral in mind if a problem would crop up. Thanks for the advice.