# what would take all the KH out of a tanks water?



## Ihavebigpiranha (Aug 19, 2004)

today I finally used some of my test stuff I picked up.

I did the same tests on 5 of my tanks

all 5 tanks tested out to 300ppm GH

tapwater I fill them all with tests 150GH

the KH of the tap was 300ppm today

the KH of my 90g was 40ppm

the KH of my 40g was 80ppm

KH of my 29 was 200ppm

KH of my 30 was 240ppm

KH of my 55 was 0ppm <----this is bad?

my pH from the tap tested 7.8 (end of chart with API pH tube test) and it was dark blue

the pH in the 55 is 6.3 avg and the rest of the tanks are 7.4 - 7.6

my 55 might be overstocked, but would that cause the drop in KH and pH? 
The tank has 2 emp400s and a regent 170gph powerhead with the air intake running, 4 arius seemani 'sharks' 3x4" and 1x10", a 7-8" jaguar cichlid, a 7-8" pleco and a 3" silver dollar.

can I fix it with waterchanges? I've been slacking a lot lately since I'm still gettin back around from a broken ankle and my nitrates showed that with all tanks at 80ppm NO3.

0 NO2 in all the tanks, no ammonia either.

I usually do a 40-50% waterchange every 2 weeks and I see I'm gonna have to do like 5-10gal per day for a while.

another question is about my tapwaters NO3 being 40ppm, is this too much for my fish to ever get really comfortable in? Should I find some water elsewhere to mix with my tapwater? I have a few wells I can get water from, if that's an option I'll test them and see.

I see what killed my rhom when I moved here I think, my water in the last place I lived didn't have nearly so much conditioning as this city pumps in

but also what is making my 55g drop KH and pH differently from the rest of the tanks? I do maintenance on them all at the same time.

if it's overstocked wouldn't it be trying to cycle and put off nitrite? I can put the jaguar over in my 30 if need be but I'd rather not if I don't need to.

if you need to know more tell me what and I'll watch this real close cuz I need to get this stuff in order as I don't think my fish are real happy right now









thanks for any help


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## Ihavebigpiranha (Aug 19, 2004)




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## myles (Feb 27, 2005)

Hello there, So if I get this stright your KH is dropping drasticly in the aquariums? If you have alot fish (large bioload) this can deffitly have an effect. See nitrafying bacteria (breaks down ammonia, nitrite) use up the minerals and the KH in your water as they break down the waste, breed, and jsut to function, thus making your water softer, and loweing pH aswell. if you have softer water to begin with, wich it seems you are ok in from the readings i belive u gave, you may need to harden your water, and giove it a bit of buffer. you can do this in your tank by adding a nutral regulator of soemind or soemtimes peopel will add soem cruched coral or crushed oyster shell or aragonite, ect into the filter to add calcium carbanate, and possibly magnesium carbanate I belive dont hold me to that, to harden the water. There is also a product called kH/pH buffer, that is liquid calcium carbanate, you cna add to the water, this is what we use at work. also things like plants and wood in the aquarium will lower it aswell. Now for your nitate being that high out of your tap water i would honestly try and do soemthign to help that because thats pretty high encluding the fact it will go UP as amminia and nitrite break down in your aquarium. iF I were you I would think about possibly a RO unit or puttign water aside and run with nitate obsorbing products like seachem puragin to reduce it. Nitrate generaly for freshwater aquariums need t genrally be pretty high to acualy kill a fish buit only in the last few years have we really found out the negitives effects of it, personly lower the better, prefreble not muhc over 10ppm if can be done. hope this helps if i diditn get the rght idea of your question jsut let me kno.

and yes waterchanges will help this, i woudl recomend doin 1/3 every week maby even twice a week till you chemistry gets more on track.


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## Ihavebigpiranha (Aug 19, 2004)

I'm currently on the 3rd day of daily waterchanges I'm going to do for a week and test again.

I did a 30-40% change in all the tanks after I tested them and now I'm doing a 10% change daily in all the tanks.

Only the one tank has the 0KH, it's got a thin layer of gravel and nothing else decor wise.

I'm looking into getting a large mixing tank to store water in for conditioning but for right now I'm pretty much stuck with tapwater


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

What are you using for testing? those readings look VERY high. I say this because to test KH and get to 300ppm you'd have to add 300 drops of test regent. 
At any rate we would need to know more about what makes up your tank. what kinda of decor and substrate?


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## Ihavebigpiranha (Aug 19, 2004)

Thanks

I'm using jungle labs 5 in 1 test strips (gonna have to order a good kit online unless I find one soon around here)

The tank with the 0KH is a 55g with an inch or less of black peasized epoxy painted gravel, 2 emp 400s and 170GPH marineland powerhead with the air intake running. I run a small (150w) heater on it to keep the temp around 78*F

There's no decor in the tank, just gravel in it, I'm working on getting a bigger tank but it has to do for the time being, my biggest shark is about 11" and startin to be cramped in the tank.

could it be an issue with algae growing on the bottom of the tank in the gravel? I've got a light for the tanks on the shelf below it that does shine into the bottom of the 55 on the top stand, should I cover the bottom of the tank?

Sorry that the pics are kinda dark but hopefully you can make out the setup, I'll try to remember to get some different pics tomorrow when I've got better light.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

*Carbonate hardness is removed from water through the process of softening only*. You have any water softeners in the house or special filter media that may cause this ???


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