Question about water Alkalinity, and what to do

[Emily Grace]

I am in the process of cycling a five gal aquarium with betta fish in the tank. I’m using some aquarium test strips to frequently check the water to ensure Nitrites don’t get too high (thanks to this forum for helping me figure out how to do all this!)

I’ve noticed while doing these tests that my Alkalinity seems to be very low. Everything else I’m testing for seems to be within good range, though hardness and ph tend to be on the lower but acceptable side as water at my house is a bit softer, and comes out around 50 GH and 6.7 Ph. Since I’ve got a betta I’m not too worried about that, but my Alkalinity is just above zero, and not within the 40-120 suggested range on the package.

Should I be concerned about this, and what should I do? I popped some crushed coral into the filter, but I’m concerned that the frequent water changes I’m doing while cycling will negate anything the coral is doing. I’ve seen some suggestions to use baking soda, and some suggestions that you shouldn’t, at least until the system is full cycled. Will the alkalinity increase in a cycled aquarium?
Many thanks!

 

[Naughts]

Ignore the suggested ranges on the packet. Acceptable pH, GH and KH are dependent on fish species and as you have correctly identified, betta like soft water. Do not use coral or baking soda as a) your water is suitable for betta fish (concentrate on keeping ammonia and nitrite at 0 though) and b) adding the soda causes instabilities and fluctuating parameters are harmful to fish.

 

[Essjay]

I agree. These test kits saying that a parameter should be in this range should be ignored. Your water is what it is, and although altering it is possible, it is much easier to choose fish which come from water similar to your tap water.

We have members with very soft water, virtually no GH or KH (alkalinity). Some have this from their tap water, others because they use 100% RO water in their tanks. None of these members have any issues simply because they keep soft water fish.


Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) should not be used when there are fish in the tank as the soda part of the name is sodium. With the possible exception of Rift Lake cichlids, no fresh water fish have sodium in their home waters and it is as bad for fish as it is for us.

 

[Byron]

I concur with both members above. I am one of the members who has zero GH/KH tap water and I add nothing to increase either, and my pH in some tanks is so low I cannot even measure it (below 5 obviously) and my soft water fish thrive and spawn and have for 30 years in this water.

 

[Emily Grace]

Great, thank you everyone!