This is getting silly HELP please

[angel12]

im sorry for the slight double post But im getting a bit frustrated at this RO lark ...

Tap water is KH 1 GH 2 PO4 5ppm
Tank is Kh 9-10 GH 12 PH 7.0 inject Co2 Planted
aim is to get the tank water to Kh of between 3-5 and keep PH at 7.0 also keep the PO 4 around the .25ppm due to algae outbreaks easy I here you say !

well I cant get it right :'(

I cant mix Ro with tap because as You can see it wont work my tap water is only slightly better than the RO in minearls and KH ....

Reason I have to change is that im giving my fish KH shock everytime I water change... Kh 9 in tank to replacment water of Kh 1 .. so Im changing the subtrate to a sub with no buffer of any kind in it tomorrow

so want to bring the Kh down to lower levels and try to match this with RO water no PO4 and what ever KH and GH I want to make of it so the story goes Not in my case

Using Ro Right (Gh)and Ph stable (KH) in the reco doeses by the Manu I cannot get the Kh to raise ive added enough to techincaly make the water Kh of 6 but when testing it it has gone only to 2 !

where am I going wrong Please help as my adults are arriving in just over 12 days and I need to get a stable system ....

Im going to use some of the existing sub and put it in some tights to help but I need something more permenant or something wich will work until the ex sub leeches carbonates back into the tank

advice needed I seem to be fighting a loosing battle .. please tell me there is a soloution :'( :'(

[richgrenfell]

Angel, have you taken a reading of the RO water?

Rich

[angel12]

what do u mean when u say reading do u mean have I tested it for Kh and Gh with a kit .. if so then Yes the Kh and Gh are not moving at all ... whats more the Ph is up to 7.8 .. so the more Ph write I add the more the Ph goes up ...

I havent got an electronic test unit so its the liquid reagants I use ...

I just cant seem to figure it out.. :'(

I either get Po4 from tap |Or water Ro mix even then it wont raise the up to any decent Kh level ..

OR I just use a PH buffer like Ph 6.5 or 7 but they contain PO4 ...

im just unlucky or am i looking at it from the wrong veiw point ,....

All I want to do is to get a Kh of 3-5 and Gh 7-8 and Ph of 7.0 should be simple given that im starting with a blank sheet of paper in the sense of RO but its just not coming out that way ...

So what is the best way forward .... Do i loose my plants or stick with them and put up with the hair algae and all the other stuff that comes with it ...

as always please can someone advise ... it has cost me a lot of time and effort not to say the least money and I seem to be no further down the line

:'(


P.S the products im using are Kent Ro write and Kent Ph stable ... and the test are carried out as mentioned according to the information on the back of the treatments and checked with a Kh and Gh kit I know does work as it has given me the current readings of my Tank ....

[richgrenfell]

If I am reading what you are saying correct....your RO water, is nearly 10 times as hard as your tap water? Or does it go into the tank soft and then change? I had a similar problem when I first got my RO unit. Rather than catching the product water, I was catching the WASTE WATER! I sure felt like a dope! If the water is at the parameters you want when it goes into the tank, and then changes, well then there is something in the tank buffering it.

Rich

[angel12]

NO this is not the case I am catching the Ro water and not the waste ... the Tap water is Kh 1
and yes the current substrate in the tank is making the Kh go up to 9 hence me wanting to get rid of it

but I still have the problem where if I get the water in the tank via leaving some existing substrate in the filter or what ever how do i match any replacment water if I cant get the Kh or the Ro water higher than 2 and only then if I overdose the Ro water .. I cant figure it out it is definatly pure Ro water That im testing

[richgrenfell]

Oh i see now. The problem you are having is an unfortunate one, and i'm afraid that it takes a bit of trial and error to get to where you want to be. are you using a canister filter? If so you could try adding a tablespoon of crushed coral to the media. I have a friend that treats his RO by using a small amout of crushed coral in a box filter in his storage container as well. He runs it over the coral for 48 hours. In the beginning he was pulling his hair out trying to get the right amount. But with the heights that the substrate is taking your readings to, i'd definately recommend taking it out.