How to raise GH without PH getting too alkaline.

[Essjay]

That's fine, I just got a bit worried when you said you had tetras

 

[Byron]

There are a couple of issues mentioned in this thread that could do with some clarification.

GH is the most important parameter (of the three, GH, KH and pH) for fish. No species of fish can adapt to significant deviations from the GH of its native waters. There are some species that have a wider tolerance, within reason. Stores rarely bother with this because they do not intend keeping the fish for very long, and it is the permanent long-term care that does matter (to the fish). Once the GH is within an acceptable range, the pH will usually follow. The GH and KH affect the pH, which is why one should never target the pH alone without managing the GH (and KH).

Livebearers (all of them) must have moderately hard or harder water, there is no getting around this. Soft water, and/or acidic water, will weaken the fish more and more until it succumbs to some disease/issue it would normally have been able to easily handle; sometimes the inappropriate GH/pH directly cause its demise. The fish cannot live a normal life, in any sense of the term, simply because the GH is a detriment rather than a benefit. Both soft water species and hard water species have this problem, in opposite directions.

When it comes to raising the GH, it must be done correctly by adding calcium and magnesium salts dissolved in the water, and dissolved prior to the water entering the tank (to avoid shock). This can be achieved through the use of mineral salt preparations such as those for African rift lake cichlids, or through a calcareous substrate sand that will continually dissolve calcium and magnesium. Coral, shells, etc are not sufficient for this; they can work for shrimp, but not fish. And they are not adequate buffers.

Equilibrium was mentioned. I used this in two of my tanks for five years. It raises the GH but does not affect pH or KH. My tap water is zero GH/KH, and I used sufficient Equilibrium to maintain the GH of the tank water at 5 or 6 dGH. This obviously was not for livebearers, or indeed fish period, as Equilbrium is a plant additive. I contacted Seachem about Equilibrium and Replenish and they advise to use E only to benefit plants, and Replenish for fish requiring harder water. I spoke with one of their technicians, and I only know what he told me.

For livebearers the GH must be at minimum 10 dGH (180 ppm) for guppies, platies, Endlers, and possibly swordtails, though it would be better around 12 dGH or higher. Mollies must have it in the harder range. And while some "soft" water species could manage, many cannot, and all of them will be healthier in softer water. Point is, there is really no "middle ground" as such, if we care about the fish. Prepare harder water for livebearers, and leave soft water fish for a tank with softer water. Both groups will then, and only then, be more likely to have good health and a decent life.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I use epsom salts to raise my GH. It doesn't seem to affect pH. KH is a little more difficult for me. I've had oyster grit in my filter for several months, and the KH seems to raise about one degree per month. But as my pH is already slightly basic (around 7.5, last time I measured) I believe the oyster shell is going to dissolve extremely slowly.

 

[Essjay]

Epsom salts are just magnesium, you could also do with some calcium in there.

 

[StevenF]

Note Equilibrium will not increase your PH or KH. When looking at GH booster avoid those with potassium bicarbonate or sodium bicarbonate. These ingredients will increase KH and PH.

Calcium sulfate (gypsum), Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt), and calcium chloride and magnesium chloride will increase GH without increasing PH and KH. I also recommend keeping a decorative snail shell or a cuttle bone in the water since they help prevent your water from becoming acidic.

 

[StevenF]

Equilbrium is a plant additive. I contacted Seachem about Equilibrium and Replenish and they advise to use E only to benefit plants, and Replenish for fish requiring harder water. I spoke with one of their technicians, and I only know what he told me.

Equilibrium ( calcium and magnesium sulfate) is preferred for plants because plants need sulfur. Replenish ( calcium and magnesium chloride) is preferred for fish because is has chloride. At least ate is what the marketing says.

However science does tell us that plant and animals both need calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and chloride. If a plant or animal cannot get any one of these it will not be healthy and could die.

Tape water is typically chlorinated. So tap water is typically rich in chloride. Very soft water (GH of 1 or 2) will typically be low in calcium, magneisium and probably sulfur. Most fertilizer don't have calcium and chloride as ingredients. My RO aquarium has no GH ,chloride, or sulfur in the water so I make my own GH booster which is 3 parts calcium chloride and 1 part magnesium sulfate. I have Shrimp and plants in the aquarium and a number of juvenal shrimp have appeared in the last week.

 

[Essjay]

Tape water is typically chlorinated. So tap water is typically rich in chloride.

To explain this part of StevenF's post - chlorine is not the same as chloride but the way that dechlorinators work is by turning chlorine into chloride.

 

[Tobek28]

I keep guppies. My tap water is perfect for them in hardness and ph, but it comes with 1 ppm ammonia. So I filter it down to ro/di and remineralize it with a shimp king product. I got Shrimp King Shrimp Salt GH+/KH+. They also have a gh only product if you only want hardness. It might be worth checking out. You mix it in the water before adding it to the tank, it smells very stong of lime or something so wouldn't be good to add directly to the tank.

Ph fluctuates so much that it is better to focus more on gh/kh than chasing ph. My water could get up to 8.2 or more ph, and my guppies were fine. Getting my ammonia right was harder when my tap came with it.

 

[seangee]

Dennerle shrimp king bee salt GH+

 

[Somethingsfishy001]

I ended up getting Seachem Equilibrium. Now my guppy tank is around 10 gh and my molly tank around 20 GH. Ph in guppy tank is 8, and Ph in molly tank is 7.8.
I just add back in equilibrium to the new water when I do water changes. In the same amount that was removed.