PH, Water Hardness, TDS?

[kbkyle]

Can someone explain pH and Water Hardness/TDS to me? I always hear people talking about their TDS and how different rocks and substrates lower or increase pH level, how do you maintain pH levels? What increases/lower pH levels. What the heck is TDS? LOL.

 

[Roger121]

tds is total dissolved solids is a measurement of salts in the water, water hardness is the same, but gh is the total amount of salts and kh is for carbonates salts only, the carbonates make the water alkaline if ur water has not carbonates it is easy to make acid the water. the ph is a measurement of alkalinity or acidity every fish have its own kind of parameter, if the fish live in acid water means low kh and low gh if lives in alkaline waters means high gh and kh.

The truth is I never measure the TDS, coz I make water changes but if u don't, that's a way to measure the dissolved salts accumulated by evaporation or a way to use the special shrimp salts that are used with RO water, anyway in most cases IMO unesessary.