Raise gh and kh without ph

Hey guys my ph is 7.2-7.4, my gh is 3 and my kh is 2. I have platies and I just got plants today so how do I raise gh and kh without sending my ph through the roof? Also I’m confused as to how my ph can be so high with such soft water.

 

I added 2.7 grams MgSO4 and some eggshells. Gh 5 , Kh still 2.

 

I am just learning about this so you should research and verify anything I say (as you should anything anybody tells you in a public forum).

Based on my evolving understanding, a pH of 7.2 to 7.4 seems about right for KH of 2. It is further my understanding that pH and KH are very closely related so that it would be difficult or impossible to raise KH without raising pH. GH has little or no impact on pH so you should be able to raise that without having a significant impact on pH.

I am using SeaChem Equilibrium to experiment with adjusting GH in a bucket. I do not want to mess with the water in my tanks until I know what I am doing. I have been advised that Equilibrium is an expensive and sub-optimal way to do that. But I already bought it and I believe SeaChem products are good products and better that I use a professionally formulated product than mess with my own blend of chemicals without understanding what I am doing.

Equilibrium is SeaChem's remineralizer for planted tanks. Replenish is their remineralizer for non-planted tanks. I believe the difference is that Replenish has sodium which is good for some fish, but not for most plants.

It is my belief that when messing with water parameter people often do more harm than good because they take a little information and proceed without really understanding what they are doing and why they are doing it. That is why I am experimenting in a bucket first.

MgSO4 is Magnesium sulfate. GH usually also includes Calcium sulfate CaSO4.

Chanyi recommended a very precise mix of MgSO4 and CaSO4 for me. I do not yet understand why. As I said, I am still learning. I believe snails use calcium for their shells and calcium may be needed for shrimp molting. Calcium may also be used by plants. But again, just learning so I am not sure.

In any case, adjusting your GH with just MgSO4 might not provide what you need out of GH. Just because you have the right GH number does not necessarily mean you have the minerals you need. I do not know, I am only speculating based on the little I have learned so far.

I have followed a lot of threads of people adding stuff to their tanks and getting them really messed up because they do not understand what they are doing and why they are doing it. I would be very careful about adding any chemicals to your tank until you fully understand what you are doing and why you are doing it.

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I read an article recently that essentially stated that pH is not that big a deal and the focus on pH has developed since pH is easier to test than KH. It is KH that is really important. pH normally fluctuates through the days, especially in planted tanks. CO2 accumulates over night and causes pH to drop. Plants use CO2 during the day and pH goes back up in the evening.

My tap water runs pH 8 to 8.2, KH and GH 7 to 8 degrees. I plan to do some closer monitoring of pH to see if I can observe the fluctuations. A lot to learn. It is interesting.

 

Ah yes. The eggshells are calcium carbonate, so with time my kh should go up. I only added the amount of MgSO4 that is typically used as a planted tank fertilizer (7g/100 L). I think my problem is low CO2 actually. With Ph (now 7.8) and Kh 2, I have.... 1! Mg/L CO2. Die, air stone! Hooking up some yeasties right now and gonna fashion a CO2 bubbler out of that. My plants arrived in really rough shape today and I want them to recover.

 

I do not yet understand the difference between calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate. I assume both would provide calcium, but carbonate would contribute to KH and buffer/raise pH and sulfate would contribute to GH and would not raise pH. Speculation - not sure.

Would you turn off the CO2 bubbler at night? It is my understanding that you only want CO2 running when tank lights are on since plants cannot use the CO2 without light. It is further my understanding that CO2 based pH fluctuations do not have a significant impact on fish so using CO2 to moderate pH does not help anything. Of course CO2 is beneficial to plants so if that is your primary objective then it makes sense.

Again, just learning. Sounds like you know more than I do at this point. Take anything I say with a grain of salt.

 

I didn't get your tag on my name either... strange.

Oh well I'm here now. You've got a lot going on.

RO or distilled, it doesn't matter.

Ditch the baking soda, why add extra sodium when you don't have to.
Ditch the equilibrium, why add extra K (and maybe Fe?? I can't remember, I don't use the stuff) when you don't have to.
Ditch the ph down, you are taking one step forward and one step backwards using it vs kH boosting.
Ditch the crumby test kits, go with a pH pen that comes with the ability to be calibrated.
Ditch the measuring spoons, you could be out 100% by volume. By mass is what you need. A jewelry scale that comes with a calibration weight and accuracy up to 0.001 grams is what you want.

Per 1 US Gallon:

0.386 Grams CaSO4 - 30ppm Ca, 4.2 degrees gH

0.384 Grams MgSO4 - 10ppm Mg, 2.3 degrees gH

0.135 Grams KHCO3 - 14ppm K, 1.0 degrees kH

pH will be 7.1 / 7.2. You can go a little more then 7-8 degrees for gH, but my shrimp were happy in those conditions.

Here, get to know this website, you'll be using it a lot:

Rotala Butterfly | Planted Aquarium Nutrient Dosing Calculator

Above is what Chanyi recommended for my shrimp tank. That does not necessarily mean it is what is right for your needs, but thought you would be interested.

 

Hey guys my ph is 7.2-7.4, my gh is 3 and my kh is 2. I have platies and I just got plants today so how do I raise gh and kh without sending my ph through the roof? Also I’m confused as to how my ph can be so high with such soft water.

I would just bump general hardness up by 3-4 degrees using Equilibrium.

Or, since you've already got MgSO4 you can bump it 1 degree with that, and then grab some CaSO4 and bump it by 3 degrees (Ca:Mg ratio should be ~ 3:1 or 4:1).

 

Ah yes. The eggshells are calcium carbonate, so with time my kh should go up. I only added the amount of MgSO4 that is typically used as a planted tank fertilizer (7g/100 L). I think my problem is low CO2 actually. With Ph (now 7.8) and Kh 2, I have.... 1! Mg/L CO2. Die, air stone! Hooking up some yeasties right now and gonna fashion a CO2 bubbler out of that. My plants arrived in really rough shape today and I want them to recover.

You can't have 1 mg/L CO2 in water, it's simply impossible. CO2 in water will always be about 3 mg/L or ppm due to gas laws.
I'm guessing you're going off of the CO2/KH charts, which are meant to be read after injecting CO2:
https://barrreport.com/threads/co2-ph-kh-table.10717/
And even then somewhat inaccurate.

The eggshells will take some time, as calcium carbonate is not very soluble, but will raise KH over time. Will also raise pH. pH drop as a result of CO2 does not affect water hardness, and also doesn't affect fish. Therefore using CO2 to reach a certain pH doesn't do anything, because it's KH that really affects livestock more

I do not yet understand the difference between calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate. I assume both would provide calcium, but carbonate would contribute to KH and buffer/raise pH and sulfate would contribute to GH and would not raise pH. Speculation - not sure.

Would you turn off the CO2 bubbler at night? It is my understanding that you only want CO2 running when tank lights are on since plants cannot use the CO2 without light. It is further my understanding that CO2 based pH fluctuations do not have a significant impact on fish so using CO2 to moderate pH does not help anything. Of course CO2 is beneficial to plants so if that is your primary objective then it makes sense.

Again, just learning. Sounds like you know more than I do at this point. Take anything I say with a grain of salt.

Both calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate will increase calcium ions once dissolved, so both raise GH. The carbonate will also raise KH, but the sulfate doesn't contribute to either

 

You can't have 1 mg/L CO2 in water, it's simply impossible. CO2 in water will always be about 3 mg/L or ppm due to gas laws.

I'll play devils advocate and disagree with you there, plants in a low tech tank can bottom out CO2 within the water. 3ppm will quickly be eaten up by plants faster than it is re-absorbed from the atmosphere.

 

Both calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate will increase calcium ions once dissolved, so both raise GH. The carbonate will also raise KH, but the sulfate doesn't contribute to either

My tap water tests 7 to 8 degrees for both GH and KH. But TDS is only 165. I would have expected it to be closer to 250 to 280. Could that be explained by Calcium Carbonate being measure in both GH and KH. Effectively double counted, but only counted once in TDS?

 

My tap water tests 7 to 8 degrees for both GH and KH. But TDS is only 165. I would have expected it to be closer to 250 to 280. Could that be explained by Calcium Carbonate being measure in both GH and KH. Effectively double counted, but only counted once in TDS?

Yes, plus testing errors, TDS meter calibration issues

 

I'll play devils advocate and disagree with you there, plants in a low tech tank can bottom out CO2 within the water. 3ppm will quickly be eaten up by plants faster than it is re-absorbed from the atmosphere.

Oh right, didn't consider potential plants. I would assume that the lower the dissolved CO2, the faster the system would return to equilibrium, but the rate itself I do not know. Gas laws not being my forte