How to Setup a Low Maintainance Tank

[mrvincent]

Why KH or GH will drop, where will it go ?...
Anyways my KH/GH stay stable...

I understand why TDS will increase, simple... You add food, you add TDS.
Do plants absorb alk ?

 

[GodFan]

Why KH or GH will drop, where will it go ?...
Anyways my KH/GH stay stable...

I understand why TDS will increase, simple... You add food, you add TDS.
Do plants absorb alk ?

Yes plants absorb calcium. However I believe this is vastly overestimated since i have never actually heard of abone having an issue. I certainly havent and my water is soft out the tap anyway. Plus one of my tanks has an enourmous piece of driftwood.

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[Caliban07]

Why KH or GH will drop, where will it go ?...
Anyways my KH/GH stay stable...

I understand why TDS will increase, simple... You add food, you add TDS.
Do plants absorb alk ?

The nitrification process uses 7.14ppm of alkalinity per 1ppm if ammonia to nitrate.

Acidity is produced at the same time. Kh is being used all the time and ph is in danger of falling in a tank that receives no water changes. Crushed coral will help to keep ph stable by buffering.

TDS rises because metals and salts cannot be evaporated. Every time water evaporates the metals and salts are left behind. If you top up with tap water you are adding more metals and salts and the process happens again until you reach a potentially lethal concentration of TDS.