Long, Failed Struggle To Increase Kh, Suggestions Appreciated

[simonero]

My kH has been a problem for a good long while now.  Unfortunately the tap water in my area has very low kH, based on both internet resources and my own testing on multiple occasions.  The highest I've ever gotten it is 1 or 2, which is equal to what comes out of the tap.
 
To increase my kH I've tried increasing aeration and adding aragonite into my filters.  I've put a good amount of aragonite in my 55gal, couldn't give an exact amount at this point but basically I have 2 whispers wrapped in panty hose and stocked full with aragonite, and there's probably some in the substrate from before I discovered panty hose as a replacement for filter bags.  I've been able to keep my pH above 6.0 since doing this, but it is still too low.  Also, depending upon which tank and when, my pH lies within the 6.2-6.6 range.  I'd really like to get it to 7+ (depending on which tank).  (My tap pH is about 7.2 after outgassing.)
 
Any suggestions as to what is the best/safest thing to try next?  I want to increase my kH so my tanks are less susceptible to pH swings and so that the pH will maintain at a level closer to that of my actual tap water.

 

[StevenF]

Argonite is mainly calcium carbonate.  The maximum amount of calcium carbonate water can hold at near neutral PH is only 0.013grams per liter.  Your water is probably saturated with Calcium carbonate due to all the argonite you have add.  Also Aeration will not increase PH or KH.  In fact it will do the opposite.  
 
Are your fish healthy?  If they are there is probably nothing wrong with your water.  And increasing KH to where you want it  (which may not be the same as what your fish wants) is probably not a good idea.  ncreasing KH might make your water less healthy.  Also I would not reduce your aeration to try and get highers KH.  Reducing aeration can harm the health of your fish while increase aeration has no consequences.  I  Question How big are your PH swings?  Also what is causing the PH swings and how big are they?  fish are adaptable creatures and in the wild may see PH swings as big or bigger than what you are seeing.  Also what is the accuracy of your PH test.  Most typical test kits rely on your judgment of color and at best is probably no better than +/-o.5ph.  I would notbe surprised if the PH swings you are seeing are entirely due to the limitations of the test kit.  
 
KH is not only due to Calcium or magnesium.  The most powerful substances readily available to you to increase KH are Sodium Carbonate or Potassium carbonates.  Either of these can probably push your KH to 5 or 6 or maybe even higher.  It might be possible o reach lethal levels if you are not careful.  Adding these substances to your water should only be done slowly otherwise you might shock your fish.  And very little is needed.  Also you will have to continually add it at each water change.  I would not use potassium carbonate since plants need potassium to live.  This could result in some wild swings in KH  as plants extract it from the water.

 

[fluttermoth]

I come from a really soft water area too, so I understand your issues. Most of my tanks manage just fine with large water changes (but I make sure I only keep soft water fish in those).

I have a small tank for Endlers, dwarf emerald danios and shrimps, which all like harder water, and that one I keep at a slightly higher hardness by doing more frequent, smaller water changes (so the pH and hardness stay stable, because I'm not adding large amounts of much softer more acidic water) and having a few seashells in the tank that gradually dissolve. But that wouldn't work so well in a big tank, like your 55g.

I think your best, most reliable option might be to look at remineralising salt mixes. You should be able to get one that they make for people keeping discus in RO water.

 

[Byron]

I agree with others here, and especially I think Steven's point must be answered...exactly why are you attempting to raise the pH?  And what exactly do you mean by "pH swings?"
 
My tap water has a pH of 7.0 to 7.2, achieved by the addition of soda ash (sodium carbonate) by the water people [not me], as the GH and KH are next to zero and they want less acidic water to limit corrosion.  I have tanks that run around pH 5 (or may be lower, I have no test kit below 5), others in the low to mid 6's.  I change 50-60% of the tank water once a week.  The pH after a water change rises no more than a couple decimal points, if that.  The biological stability in the tanks does its own "buffering" in a sense.  Provided I have soft water fish, this poses no issues, and hasn't in 15 years.
 
It would be worth knowing your fish species, and if there is any fluctuation with water changes.  When I tested this, I made a test of the pH prior to the water change, a few minutes after, an hour after that, then at hourly intervals for a few tests.  Then the next morning.  I was satisfied that there is no pH fluctuation of any importance.  Newer set-ups tend to have more fluctuation, but still within a few decimal points [meaning from say 6.2 up to 6.8] and as Steven said this is not a problem on its own.
 
The other thing you should check, if you haven't already, is if the pH of your tap water is due to the source or what if anything the water authority are adding to increase it.  If you have the soft water mentioned, the pH one would expect to be acidic.  Mine used to come out of the tap between 5 and 6 before they introduced the soda ash.
 
Byron.

 

[simonero]

I increased the aeration because the water flow was inadequate before, and because i needed a backup filter due to the fact that occasionally mine stops up and has to be fixed.  The one I purchased aerates the surface of the tank and helped me deal with a prior tank crash by filtering the other side of my tank.  I am raising my pH because it is below what is ideal for my tank and my fish.  I am 100% sure I want to raise it to 7.0+.  My kH is typically "0-1 drops" so I am sure that I want to at least slightly increase my kH, even though that metric isn't exactly rocket science.  Also, every time I change my water my pH fluctuates from ~6.2 to 7, which is bad.  One of my new angelfish died overnight last night, presumably due to pH shock because everything else was golden.  I moved the other one to a more stable tank so it wouldn't die as well.  So yes, I am experiencing and worried about pH fluctuations.  =/  My tap pH is ~7.2-7.4.  Tap kH is the same as my tank.
 
Another reason this is critical right now is that I've been having to do a lot of water changes.  My filter keeps breaking and getting stuck, and I fix it every time but I am still working on preventing it.  When this happens I get an imbalance (ammonia/nitrite spike) and need to do a lot of water changes.  I am very worried about the frequent pH fluctuations this causes.
 
I've read about baking soda but it sounds unideal/risky.  Yet I've also read about "your water cant generate nutrients it doesn't have" which makes me wonder if I need to supplement it?

 

[Byron]

I increased the aeration because the water flow was inadequate before, and because i needed a backup filter due to the fact that occasionally mine stops up and has to be fixed.  The one I purchased aerates the surface of the tank and helped me deal with a prior tank crash by filtering the other side of my tank.  I am raising my pH because it is below what is ideal for my tank and my fish.  I am 100% sure I want to raise it to 7.0+.  My kH is typically "0-1 drops" so I am sure that I want to at least slightly increase my kH, even though that metric isn't exactly rocket science.  Also, every time I change my water my pH fluctuates from ~6.2 to 7, which is bad.  One of my new angelfish died overnight last night, presumably due to pH shock because everything else was golden.  I moved the other one to a more stable tank so it wouldn't die as well.  So yes, I am experiencing and worried about pH fluctuations.  =/  My tap pH is ~7.2-7.4.  Tap kH is the same as my tank.
 
Another reason this is critical right now is that I've been having to do a lot of water changes.  My filter keeps breaking and getting stuck, and I fix it every time but I am still working on preventing it.  When this happens I get an imbalance (ammonia/nitrite spike) and need to do a lot of water changes.  I am very worried about the frequent pH fluctuations this causes.
 
I've read about baking soda but it sounds unideal/risky.  Yet I've also read about "your water cant generate nutrients it doesn't have" which makes me wonder if I need to supplement it?

 
Baking soda is not recommended.  It is not a permanent "buffering" and will only cause more issues.
 
I am still not convinced of the issue here.  You haven't responded to my direct questions so it is difficult to offer advice.  But I still say that the pH fluctuation from water changes is not as crucial as you seem to think.  Have you done the tests like I laid out to see what actually occurs hour by hour?  And what is the story with your source water?
 
Angelfish are mentioned, and these will be fine with the pH in the 6's.
 
Water chemistry is very complicated.  It is certainly safer and easier to live with what you have in terms of source water and aquarium chemistry.

 

[StevenF]

 
 
 One of my new angelfish died overnight last night, presumably due to pHshock because everything else was golden.

Your typical test kit will test about 5 water parameters.  However there are at least 20 different water parameters that arguably should be monitored.  However the equipment needed to do that is very expensive and the test would take a lot of time.  So just because everything but PH was golden doesn't tell you that PH was the cuase of the fishes death.  I don't have angle fish but I have some neon tetras that are native to the same rivers in which angle fish live.  Your fish should be fine with water between 6 and 7.5ph.  Recently the PH in my aquarium slowly went up to 8 at which time I decided to do a large water change (I suspect I had high potassium).  Did a large water change which dropped my PH down to 7.  I didn't loose any fish.
 
 I suspect the ammonia is the cause of your fish loss.  It is highly toxic.  Instead of tinkering with your filter and worrying about KH and PH get your water filter permanently fixed.  That should have a greater impact on your fish health than trying to raise KH and PH.  Note healthy growing plants would help a lot in minimizing ammonia spikes.