CO2 use and pH

[Fiori]

I've been using one Nutrafin CO2 canister on a 55 gall tank for 2 weeks. The water from my tap is pH 7, KH 1, GH 2. After almost 2 weeks my pH is now sitting at 6, which is as low as my test kit goes. I run the canister all the time, to minimise the likelihood of pH fluctuations. I know that with such a low KH, pH 6 is good to get my CO2 concentration at a reasonable level but I was wondering if I should add some coral to my filter, to buffer the water a bit, in case my pH completely crashes.

Any advice?

 

[RYO]

Hi m8, like you my water here is realy soft - kh less than 17.9ppm and gh of 35.8 ppm. I add sodium bicarb to my water during water changes. I would start by adding 1/4 tsp to every 10lts you change and test again.
If i remember right i think its 1 tsp will up the kh by 1dkh.

 

[zig]

In planted tanks a gh under 3 is quite low as well, water with a gh under 3 usually lacks calcuim and magnesium both of which plants need as macro nutrients, just something to keep in mind if you start to see deficiencys in the plants.

My water has a very low Kh as well at 1.7 but my gh is ok at 3.3, i havent added any bicarbonate of soda to up the Kh, i just about get away with it, but i think if my Kh was 1 i would definatly up it, id probably do it slowly though, not all in the one go to be on the safe side.

 

[Fiori]

Thanks folks - instead of adding bicarb I thnk I will add some coral to a stocking in the filter, a bit at a time until the pH stabilises at a slightly higher level - I am looking for acidic water anyway, but just don't want a pH crash

Cheers

 

[RYO]

No worries, i just found the bicarb more controlable. what are you keeping in there?

 

[Fiori]

At the moment, cories and otos - have some baby angels to add next week.Then some shoaling fish - hopefully dwarf neon rainbows, if I can track any down. Or maybe rummy noses. Ah decisions decisions As long as I can make sure the pH is stable, they should be fine.

Thanks for all your kind advice.

 

[nodding_dino]

they had some of the dwarf rainbows at my LFS over the weekend (in fact I *nearly* bought some)...I guess it's a bit of a trek all the way down here though

 

[Fiori]

I'd been looking for some for ages and finally managed to get some in Dobbies a few months ago - baaaad mistake. They were completely disease-ridden and the whole lot died over a period of time, one after the other, in perfect conditions. In fact the last one just went today, after hanging on for about 6 weeks - wee fighter did'nt make it in the end. They are just beautiful fish in a shoal and I want to get some more from a better lfs, so I will just have to play the ole waiting game. I have heard some folks on here saying they've been waiting for certain fish for a year