Water quality help please???

[Hobbiest]

I don't even know where to post this thread anymore. I have a planted tank and was looking into fixing issues with GH and KH the first being way too high and won't even register on a test and the later being too low ( drop checker was not working because tank water was not 4dkh)

My water was testing 0 Nitrites, 0 Ammonia, 6.5 PH and it was only taking one drop to change KH from blue to yellow. GH would never even turn green, I am using a Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Master test Kit. The only thing in my tank other than fish and plants are driftwood and I added Fluorite to gravel a few months back for root feeding plants.

I was talking about this with someone and this is what they came up with....
42ppm carbon and very high FE poison ????? How would they come to this conclusion? and they suggest I get a sachems Buffer? I thought It was always best not to mess with the PH? I know co2 will bring PH down but I do have a regulator as to not let it get too low and as of now drop checker is showing green for the first time.


Can someone please help explain I do not want to harm my fish by not taking action but am apprehensive about what to do also

 

[trennamw]

The very high GH can be remedied by mixing with distilled or RODI water. There are probably other methods but it's not a problem I've had to face personally. I don't know if it's typical to need to know more about why the GH is high or what mineral exactly is causing it.

I've had to deal with low KH, it's a rare situation where you do need to add stuff. It's true you don't want to mess with ph generally, but if you lack KH then the ph messes with itself KH keeps ph stable.

After you have a solution for your GH being high Id look into just API buffer max, the label implies it's for cichlids. I got this suggestion from two reputable sources (a book by a fish specialist and our LFS that's one of the biggest freshwater fish stores in the country). I use 1/4 tsp per 5 gallon bucket and it raises the KH from "one drop" to 3-4. It keeps my ph stable about 7-7.5 depending on the tank.

Google "water report (insert town here)" to get more info on your water. Or call and ask about the local GH.

Don't use seachem acid and alkaline buffer. Even seachem's web pages say that's the least stable way to achieve a neutral pH.

The cichlid buffer is basically baking soda and epsom salt I think, there are diy recipes but I find it worth the $7-12 to buy something made by the experts.

Transition over slowly; for instance a series of 25% water changes with the new water going in gradually.


Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.

 

[coralbandit]

^ This ^