Is there something that will raise hardness

[gale]

We have soft water and there's no way to get around it. So far I haven't worried about it but tonight I read that ghost shrimp need hard water for their skins to get hard. Snails too. Is there something I can add that will raise the hardness (I tested it with test strips-that's all I have-and it said it's soft) but will not raise ph? My ph is already high off the charts so I don't want to raise that.

 

[Grim Reaper]

i think Bogwood hardness the water corrent me if i am wrong

 

[Discomafia]

ph high off the charts??? I think you'd be better off fixing that first.

 

[gale]

ph high off the charts??? I think you'd be better off fixing that first.

I posted about my high ph a while back here. I was told that my lfs probably has the same ph (which I have since found out they do) and not to mess with it. So far I haven't had any trouble with it with the fish I've got.

 

[Discomafia]

Which tank is this? I'm asking because I'm wondering what fish can survive in that high ph. But you know what they say, if it ain't broken, don't fix it...

 

[gale]

Both tanks are the same and both are in my signature. But maybe I spoke too soon

btw by high off the charts I mean that it gets to be darker than the highest color so I don't know what the actual ph is. None of the tests I have go that high. Even when we fill our little swimming pool in the summer we have high ph tests.

 

[gale]

Well my lfs is giving me a line. When I had asked about ph I spoke with someone who worked there-today I called and spoke with the owner and he said he doesn't even check ph and has no idea what their ph is, and it's 'probably high'. WTH?

Then he said I shouldn't mess with my ph which I already knew. I'm worried though-one of my shrimp is very white and another is almost as white and I'm afraid it's due to the low hardness. DH has suggested using the water from outside which doesn't go through the softener, and then microwaving some of it so that it's the right temp. What a pain.

 

[Flippin'thing bit me eye]

To raise hardness you need some magnesium sulphate, I'm not sure of the reccomended measurements and then add marble chips to your filter.
Grim reaper Bogwood lowers Ph and very slightly softens water