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View Full Version : Heckel planted tank and water parameters



Alok
03-02-2010, 12:25 PM
Hello to everyone. This past week I have read each and every post posted in the Heckel project forum and thanks to everyone, I learned a lot. I am thinking of getting Heckels for my planted tank (I know this is not their biotope, but that's how I like the tank) and just got a report about water parameters from the city water supply: pH = 8, GH = ~1 (10-18mg CaCO3 per liter), KH = < 2 (30mg CaCO3 per liter), conductivity 200-240mS. They also add fluorine 1mg/L and chloramines (1.5-2.5) and ozone as disinfectants. Tank inhabitants are rummy noses, cardinal tetras otos and SAEs (I know these are asian and not amazonian). I have driftwood in tank.

Now on to questions:
1. How is the conductivity so high given the low GH and low KH as I assume that more ions in water means more conductivity? Or is this level of conductivity expected with the values of GH and KH? How does one reduce the conductivity, peat? I guess since the water is so soft, I shouldn't try to mess around with RO water to keep pH from crashing.

2. How to reduce the pH from 8 to let us say 6? Peat again? How about CO2 as this is a planted tank? Surprisingly, on wiki it says that addition of CO2 will not change the pH as the number of positive ions and negative ions generated will be the same. I know tank pH will drift towards acidic over time, but with large water changes, it will jump back to normal.... So, what is the remedy, given that I have soft water?

Thanks for any help that you can provide.

Alok
03-03-2010, 12:55 PM
Should I post these questions in water works subforum? I thought that was a more appropriate place, but because I want to keep Heckels in here, I thought I should try this subforum first....

Dan S
03-03-2010, 02:18 PM
Hello,

Have you tested your tap water yourself? Reason I ask, my report from my water company makes all sorts of claims but if you actually test it there claims are way of, also my water varies hugely out of the tap. Thats the first thing I would do.

Peat will reduce Ph but you will need alot to bring it down from Ph8 to Ph 6.

Will you prepare water in a water butt before adding to the Heckels tank? Doing this will allow you to match the water to your tanks water params so that a large change wont cause a problem.

You may need to experiment a little before adding the fish as you will have seen that stable water params are the key part. Also just bare in mind that Heckels tend to look better when you get the Ph down to 5ish.

Dan

Alok
03-03-2010, 03:44 PM
The only test I have done so far is for GH and it did come less than 2 degrees.

By the way, if GH represents total hardness and KH represents hardness due to CaCO3, how is it (according to water company) that my GH is less than KH?