Water GH and KH

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Iā€™ve never worried too much about water hardness but because my OH has a betta we bought a GH and KH test kit. Our tap water is KH 12 and GH 20 which is Chuck Norris hard. The water in my tank is KH 4 and GH 10 And PH 6.8. Now I understand what each means but how does that relate to my tank. Itā€™s a general community tank with danios, platies, dwarf gouram, cherry shrimp, ottosunclus and a L134. The cherry shrimp are breeding and the plants and fish seem happy enough. Should I alter anything or just leave it (Iā€™m inclined to leave it)
 
The danios, platies, shrimp and plants will cope with the water parameters so I would leave them.

You could consider another tank with a mix of tap and RO water in order to keep the gourami, L134 and otos healthy. It would be important to ensure stable water parameters.
 
Why is your tank water GH and KH so much lower than your tap water? Do you do anything to the new water before you put it in the tank?


Do you perhaps have a water softener which you use for the tank rather than a bypass tap?
 
all the fish seem healthy and feed well and act like the fish should. They donā€™t show any signs of ill health. They have all been in the tank for a couple of months together.. hmm things to ponder.
 
Why is your tank water GH and KH so much lower than your tap water? Do you do anything to the new water before you put it in the tank?


Do you perhaps have a water softener which you use for the tank rather than a bypass tap?
No water softener, I just fill the buckets, add de-chlorinator and add to the tank. It is fairly heavily planted with wood and a few rocks. I only add flourish excel once a week and Aquidip plant food once a week.
 
Wood should not drop the GH by half and KH by 2/3 though :unsure:

If those tank measurements are accurate, you don't need to alter anything.
 
Iā€™ll measure them again just to be sure. Agreed wood shouldnā€™t drop the GH. Iā€™ll look into the possibility of the substrate causing the drop in GH and KH
 
The easiest way to test is to get two tubs and fill both with tap water. Then add some substrate to one of them (new if you have some left over, otherwise take some out of the tank). Then test both every day for a few days. You need a tub with just water in to compare the tub with substrate to just in case your tap water does something strange.
 

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