# kH very low - how to raise it for shrimp?



## magpie (2 Sep 2010)

Dear all 

my 300 litre tank is swimming along nicely )) with the exception of the gH/kH values.  I've filled it with 2/3 tap water (which starts off at pH 8, gH and kH about 20) with rainwater from a clean, mature roof, which gives me pH 6.5, gH about 10 - and originally kH about 10 also 

BUT

my substrate is Colombo Florabase which functions much the same as the ADA substrates and sucks up kH so that it's now not registering on any of my test kits. 

I have some amano shrimp and am concerned that they're going to need the kH higher than it is. 

What's the best (aka most effective, but also cheapest) way to raise it? If I need to raise it at all?

thanks

m


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## a1Matt (2 Sep 2010)

You do not need to raise it for the shrimp.
I successfully keep amano shrimp in water with a KH of 0 

I would make sure to maintain some GH though. GH comprises of calcium and magnesium, both of which are needed for plants. Amanos are not bothered about GH either.

EDIT - if you want to raise the KH anyway... calcium carbonate off ebay.  and you might find this a good read: http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/water.htm and http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/RO.htm


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## magpie (3 Sep 2010)

Thanks, Matt - gH is between 10 and 12 degrees - I'm assuming that's enough? 

glad I'm not killing them slowly... 

and hadn't realised *at all* that kH was 'free' hardness and gH was total hardness... I need to do more reading. 

thank you


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## a1Matt (3 Sep 2010)

Your welcome 



			
				magpie said:
			
		

> gH is between 10 and 12 degrees - I'm assuming that's enough?



Probably, but not definitely!
The reason is that GH is made up of calcium and magnesium. Usually a mix of the two, but it is possible that your tap has all one and none of the other. So you could have a GH of say only 2 and be fine if it was balanced.  or a GH of 10 and be missing magnesium still (I live in the same area as JamesC and this is the case for us).

Simple solution is to add a bit of both to make sure your covered 


Here is some related reading...

Magnesium Sulphate... do you dose it?

About Magnesium


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## magpie (5 Sep 2010)

You're the man... 

so.... 

where do I find GH Booster?  (I'd rather not make my own, but will if I have to)


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## a1Matt (5 Sep 2010)

Last time I looked aqua essentials sold GH booster.

I would buy 'gypsum' off ebay, that is calcium sulphate and covers you for calcium.
and 'epsom salts', also off ebay, or from the chemists, that is magnesium sulphate and covers you for magnesium.

IMO all the other bits you get in GH booster (often potassium and iron in there too) are superfluous as they should be covered by whatever ferts you dose as standard (potassium in macros, iron in micro\trace).


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## magpie (5 Sep 2010)

Thank you - currently dosing TPN+ on the assumption that this covers everything - and on a relatively low light, non-Co2, low-tech tank, hoping not to need too much... 

off to ebay now

hugest thanks

m


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## NeilW (6 Sep 2010)

The manufacturers say that you'll lose the 'lowering quality' of the soil quicker if you mess with the chemistry of the water using RO and GH boosters so it may be worth checking in a month or so if the soil is still lowering the GH so you don't have to have the hassle of adding the booster anymore.


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## a1Matt (6 Sep 2010)

I know from your journal you are DSM and low tech.
But do you plan on doing WC's? If so, do you have a projected schedule?


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## magpie (6 Sep 2010)

WCs - I don't know - I'm checking all parameters daily just now and they seem pretty stable

BUT I did add some TPN+ and my understanding is that it's better to do some water changes if you've added anything. I was hoping to get everything stable, but assuming that in the short term, I'd need to do some... 

not entirely sure how to decide when to do them. 

ideas? 

m


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## a1Matt (6 Sep 2010)

As is often the case, there are different schools of thought and no real right or wrong method IMO.

Many people can go for long times without changes, and I have tried it and done it successfully, but I personally feel more comfortable with WC's.

From my experience large WC's on a low tech tank are likely to induce BBA (due to fluctuating co2 levels).
So I go for regular small WC's.
So you could have a preset routine, for instance 10% each week to start with.

I go largely by odour and surface scum as to when a low tech tank needs a WC.
Over time as you learn the balance of your tank and how to 'read the tank' you will likely find the time between WC's naturally increasing. I find reading the tank very rewarding and may start a thread about this as I am sure many members have invaluable tips to share about this.

HTH


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## magpie (7 Sep 2010)

Thanks, Matt - it certainly does help

I have a 60% covering of some kind of water lettuce which is a) keeping the light from being excessive (was well scared off lights by the US crowd who seemed to think that 2 x 39 W on a 300l tank was *way* too much) so the free floating plants are under the lights, more or less - and reproducing madly  - I take out handfuls each day to keep 1/3rd of the tank free.  
My plan is that it's acting as massive biological filtration while the population of slower growing plants - anubias, crypts, java ferns, moss, riccia (some floating, some on rocks) get going - then I can pull it down a bit and they can have more light

so meanwhile, i'm topping up from evaporation about 4 litres every other day. But I could easily do a 10% water change  - I'll try one tonight or tomorrow.  Smell is pleasant and there's no visible scum... 

it's all rather lovely, really...


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## dw1305 (8 Sep 2010)

Hi all, 





> I have a 60% covering of some kind of water lettuce ...... My plan is that it's acting as massive biological filtration while the population of slower growing plants - anubias, crypts, java ferns, moss, riccia (some floating, some on rocks) get going - then I can pull it down a bit and they can have more light. so meanwhile, i'm topping up from evaporation about 4 litres every other day. But I could easily do a 10% water change - I'll try one tonight or tomorrow. Smell is pleasant and there's no visible scum...



Sounds really promising, I usually allow more floating plants to grow during the summer when there is more ambient light and thin them out a little bit in the winter. I also do the same as Matt for water changes, a small water change every day, so that it changes about 50% of the water every week (probably nearer 100% for small tanks and 35% for tanks over 100 litres). I don't worry too much when I'm away, I just up the water changes a little when I come back. I can't see any disadvantages to water changes, they will dilute hormones and allelopathic chemicals (should they exist), trickle in trace nutrients (and NPK if you use tap water) and if you out gas the water (or use rainwater) the fluctuating CO2 problem will not arise.

cheers Darrel


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