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.
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.