RO water re-mineralization help

[Kaneu]

Does anyone use RO water for there tanks? What do you use to bring your kH back up without causing your pH to sky rocket?
I have equilibrium as well as acid and alkaline buffer and been trying to find a good balance to be consistent with. I'm just wanting to keep a nutural pH with kH of around 4-6dkh or about 80-100ppm. But when I tested my tank last night, my alkalinity and gH was good but my pH was almost 8.5!
Any ideas how to correct this? I also have 4 large pieces of driftwood in the tank.

I was hoping to buy fish and plants for this tank this week but don't know if I should with the pH being so off right now.

 

[TMaier]

I just started adding Kent KH buffer. KH has upped 2* but no hit to the PH yet.

 

[Kaneu]

It occurred to me that maybe this pH increase is due to my ammonia increase. The tank is still fairly new and cycling.
But I still need ideas on how to create optimal water peramitters when changing/adding water to my tank in the future

 

[toolman]

I just mix my water 4parts ro to 1part tap (well water ph8+ kh 240), and it balanced out for me.
Then use equilibrium to balance gh to desired level, but everyone's water is different. My ph end's up at 7.5.

 

[Kaneu]

I just mix my water 4parts ro to 1part tap (well water ph8+ kh 240), and it balanced out for me.
Then use equilibrium to balance gh to desired level, but everyone's water is different. My ph end's up at 7.5.

But my tap water is hooked to a house softener. So my water out of fauset is super soft, about 10-30gh ppm. But kH is high. But I have been told it is high with salt. (Hence the water softener uses salt) and that is not good and builds up over time.
So I thought ro water was what I needed to do.

 

[Caliban07]

But my tap water is hooked to a house softener. So my water out of fauset is super soft, about 10-30gh ppm. But kH is high. But I have been told it is high with salt. (Hence the water softener uses salt) and that is not good and builds up over time.
So I thought ro water was what I needed to do.

Yeah you don't want to use softened water. I don't know why your pH is high. A KH of about 3 is ample and should prevent against pH swings etc so maybe tone the KH down a tad. You will never be able to maintain a neutral pH down the tank timeline. Too many processes going on. When the tank settles the pH will be what it will be and it's probably the parameter I worry the least about.

 

[flchamp89]

Yeah you don't want to use softened water. I don't know why your pH is high. A KH of about 3 is ample and should prevent against pH swings etc so maybe tone the KH down a tad. You will never be able to maintain a neutral pH down the tank timeline. Too many processes going on. When the tank settles the pH will be what it will be and it's probably the parameter I worry the least about.

Agreed ph is of little value to me. All I care about is it being stable

 

[TMaier]

If you intend to keep snails the ph is important. Below 7.2 and the water will slowly degrade their shells.

 

[Kaneu]

Thanks. But I don't like snails much. I think if I did any type of invert, it would be shrimp. But I was thinking oto's or panda loaches.

 

[flchamp89]

If you intend to keep snails the ph is important. Below 7.2 and the water will slowly degrade their shells.

Thats a good point. Florida...liquid rock I forgot some people have water that is wet lol

 

[Kaneu]

I live in Utah. So my water is not much different from Florida. Tap water is very hard. About 450ppm with an alkalinity through the roof. So pretty much a water softener hooked up is a must or I would be replacing appliances about every 2 years.

Sucks for trying to keep tanks with nutural pH levels.

 

[flchamp89]

Ive lived in areas like that. Actually Florida is odd. Ive never needed a softner. Kh/gh is high. PH varies around the state. Where im at is the largest congregation of springs. I actually have one on my property. My ph from tap (well) is 7.6. I rest about 7.4 and then of course the co2 drop from there. Tap tds 160...Ca and P is off charts.

But im a wildman I run my gas 24/7.

 

[coralbandit]

I would try to see if mixing ro and tap would work for you.
If not and you need to go all ro then this is a pretty good and affordable recipe..
RODI balancing - The Planted Tank Forum
I mix tap,but am not on softener... To me cutting the main line and installing a hose bib would be a $25 1 hour project...Then I could hook up sediment and carbon filters to my source without the softener in play..

To prove HOW USELESS PH IS ;
my pH is also 7.6 ,but my TDS is 360 -400..One number is the same as Fl89 but the other is not...My tap is not good for softwater fish to breed in like much of Florida water is..It is the TDS that matters more then PH clearly ?

 

[flchamp89]

I would try to see if mixing ro and tap would work for you.
If not and you need to go all ro then this is a pretty good and affordable recipe..
RODI balancing - The Planted Tank Forum
I mix tap,but am not on softener... To me cutting the main line and installing a hose bib would be a $25 1 hour project...Then I could hook up sediment and carbon filters to my source without the softener in play..

To prove HOW USELESS PH IS ;
my pH is also 7.6 ,but my TDS is 360 -400..One number is the same as Fl89 but the other is not...My tap is not good for softwater fish to breed in like much of Florida water is..It is the TDS that matters more then PH clearly ?

Ive really been getting more in to tds. Its uses and values. I see good value in the acclimating process. I like how I can monitor its effects with what goes in the tank. Ive struggled with sakura. No breeding slow die off no molts except when newly introduced. So many factors. I also think my co2 may be an issue.

 

[rlederer]

I use R/O water but I put a tap water line into the system and mix the waters as the R/O is produced. I go for a pH of 6.5 but I can easily adjust it and the GH by increasing or decreasing the amount of tap water going into the system. Forget about adding chemicals unless it is a desperate situation.

 

[Kaneu]

I use R/O water but I put a tap water line into the system and mix the waters as the R/O is produced. I go for a pH of 6.5 but I can easily adjust it and the GH by increasing or decreasing the amount of tap water going into the system. Forget about adding chemicals unless it is a desperate situation.

I think I might have to get some plumbing down in my utility room. Do you think it would cost alot to have a water spicket put in on my water line that goes into my water softener? It would be the only true way I could get my (unsoftened) tap water.

 

[rlederer]

It shouldn't cost much to get a spigot put in your line, except that plumbers charge a lot just for showing up. You might be able to do it yourself.

 

[flchamp89]

Spicket is simple....most should be able to handle that.

 

[rlederer]

Never heard of spicket; I always referred to it as spigot. But apparently there are regional variations in the spelling and pronunciation

 

[flchamp89]

Never heard of spicket; I always referred to it as spigot. But apparently there are regional variations in the spelling and pronunciation

Redneck lingo lol