Adding Carbonate Hardness Help

[JSmails]

Ive just bought some stuff to boost some carbonate hardness. Can the powder just be added into the tank or should I mix it in a bucket with my water change?

 

[Griz]

The short answer to your question is to add it to the bucket and disolve if first. But, please read on.

Excuse me if I sound like I'm preaching here but... Messing with water parameters is something that shouldn't be done lightly. You need to really be sure you want/need to raise it in the first place. Any changes should be done very slowly. I'm curious what your current stats are and what fish you keep.

 

[JSmails]

The short answer to your question is to add it to the bucket and disolve if first. But, please read on.

Excuse me if I sound like I'm preaching here but... Messing with water parameters is something that shouldn't be done lightly. You need to really be sure you want/need to raise it in the first place. Any changes should be done very slowly. I'm curious what your current stats are and what fish you keep.

Cheers for the advice Griz and dont worry Im used to the preaching on here. My KH is currently low at a reading of 3 and I know somewhere between 5 and 10 is ideal. My fish are healthy but the plants have suffered lately with yellow leaves. The two things from my tests that are out of sync are low iron and low KH. The professional advice Ive been given from my lfs and from the books Ive read suggests that if these were increased the plants would be healthier. Before I hadnt been fertlizing my plants, so that is something Im also looking at doing. Like you warn Ive also been told to be careful with the KH and am looking at doing this very slowly indeed.

 

[Callum]

Your plants will have gone yellow due to an iron deffficiency rather than a low kh, although it is better to have a slightly higher kh it isnt really worth altering the water perimeters. However i accept you may still want to carry this out so good luck anyway.

 

[Griz]

I agree with Flame, yellowing leaves on plants is a symptom of iron deficiency. Try adding root fertilizer tablets that contain iron. I would try that first. I have a KH of 4 and no problems growing plants. Lighting could possibly be an issue too.

 

[Waterloo Kid]

A KH of 4 is fine for plants. in fact, if you were to inject CO2 (go to the planted tank forum for details) a KH of 4 would be great!
I had a KH of 2-3 so I added apiece of limestone to the filter. that keeps my KH at a healthy 4.

WK

 

[JSmails]

A KH of 4 is fine for plants. in fact, if you were to inject CO2 (go to the planted tank forum for details) a KH of 4 would be great!
I had a KH of 2-3 so I added apiece of limestone to the filter. that keeps my KH at a healthy 4.

WK

I had realised the plant thing was to do with the lack of iron but I wanted to stabilise my water and felt from reading this was best to do as the KH was a tad low at 3. Now Im not saying I wanted to boost it massively, just nearer 5. Anyway in one water change I fertilised the plants and the iron is now at an average level and I will now keep an eye on this while I increased the KH to 4. In a weeks time I plan to increase it to 5 and then leave it. I dont want to drastically alter the makeup of the tank I just want to get all the parameters in the right position and then try and keep them that way. I dont do anything to my tank without first doing plenty of research.

Waterloo I havent heard this about limestone before. Where did you get it and how much do you add? Does it ever need changing?

 

[Callum]

limestone is an alkaline rock which can alter your aquarium stats never seen it in the filter though