I got a 75 gal fresh water aquarium with some water, perimeter questions

[WDKELLEY]

I got a 75 gal fresh water aquarium my carbonate is 40ppm Alkalinity is 40ppm my PH is 7.2 hardness is 50ppm what should I do to get my carbonate and alkalinity up with out raising my ph

 

[Aiken Drum]

Carbonate hardness (KH) and alkalinity are essentially the same thing. There are a few minor differences, but in an aquarium situation they mean pretty much the same thing. The API KH test is actually a test for alkalinity for instance.

Raising carbonate hardness will raise pH, no way around that. You can add something to raise KH, that will in turn raise the pH. You could then add something that would acidify the water and bring the pH back down, but it would do that by lowering the KH.

What's the problem? Why do you want to raise the KH?

 

[WDKELLEY]

I guess I’m new to the aquarium world in your opinion are my numbers OK? I don’t know that I need to raise it.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Really depends on the fish you are keeping. Some fish prefer soft, acidic water, some fish prefer harder, higher pH water.

If you want to raise KH you can do the following.

• A bag of crushed coral in the filtration or mix some crushed coral into your substrate. This will slowly disolve and add both GH and KH.
• Cuttlefish bone is calcium carbonate same as coral. Putting a piece of cuttlefish bone in your filtration or somewhere in your aquascape will also disolve raising both GH and KH.
• Mix baking soda in your water. This is sodium bicarbonate and will raise KH bit not GH. Add it slowly, let it fully disolve and check the KH and add more until you get to your desired KH.
• Mix an aquarium specific buffer salt. Seachem Alkaline Buffer will raise KH. Seachem Equilibrium will raise GH and also have some other minerals that are good for plants. Seachem Replenish will also raise GH but isn't suited to planted aquariums.

 

[WDKELLEY]

I have 8 red phantom Tetris 10 glow Tetris 6 guppies 2 glow Tetris 2 Chinese algae eater fish and two nitrite snails was going to add 4 cherry shrimp to see how they go today my aquarium has been up and running for a little over a month with fish in it. I did cycle it without fish.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Tetras generally prefer soft acidic water. The algae eater likes harder water than the tetras. The KH is a little low for the snails and any shrimp, so you could get some cuttlefish bone in the aquascape which would add some KH, and they can nibble on it a bit too. Make sure they get some calcium on their diet. I really wouldn't worry too much about pH unless it gets right out there.

 

[WDKELLEY]

Sounds good thank you