Why is my GH so high?

[Whitecloudminnowguy095 1]

Hey all.

I have a question about my 5g that has been seasoning for a year now. I have noticed almost every single bladder snail has died off (interesting, because they are so hardy) which made me question the water parameters. I had tested them anyways because I am going to be receiving some blue shrimp soon, and I had thought my GH and KH were low (my tap water is soft), thus I did a single dose of Equilibrium. Today, the KH is 6. But the Gh is a whopping 16. Why? I wonder if that is why not even the bladder snails can survive? Ammonia is 0, nitrite, 0, nitrate, 20 or so. I tested the GH 3 times to make sure I was not a idiot.



For true blues, (neos) a kh of 6 is also not super preferable? Or is this false. I have ghost shrimp in my 20g long, and the KH is 6, Gh, 6. They are thriving. Maybe because they adapted? I have lost around 10 in total in the last 3 months I have had them (started with 20, split between 5g and 20g, until all were moved to 20g, because of 5g aquascape change).

I do have some rocks from a local creek (trust me, tested, washed, and good for aquarium use, safe) in the 5g though. That combined with the Equilibrium, did it cause the spike?

Thanks to any for responding.

-Whitecloudminnowguy09

 

[fishthatfit]

Equilibrium can't be the KH. It is potassium, calcium and magnesium sulfate, no carbonate anywhere in it, so it moves GH and leaves KH where it was. One dose is also only about 3 dGH, so it isn't the whole 16 either.

That points at the creek rock. Carbonate in rock lifts KH and GH together, which is exactly the pattern you have, and the vinegar test only catches rock carbonate-rich enough to fizz where you can see it. A few percent won't fizz and will still dissolve into soft unbuffered water over a year.

The snails are a separate question though. Bladder snails want calcium, so GH 16 is good news for them rather than bad. Something else got them. Did they go before or after the rock went in?

 

[Whitecloudminnowguy095 1]

Equilibrium can't be the KH. It is potassium, calcium and magnesium sulfate, no carbonate anywhere in it, so it moves GH and leaves KH where it was. One dose is also only about 3 dGH, so it isn't the whole 16 either.

That points at the creek rock. Carbonate in rock lifts KH and GH together, which is exactly the pattern you have, and the vinegar test only catches rock carbonate-rich enough to fizz where you can see it. A few percent won't fizz and will still dissolve into soft unbuffered water over a year.

The snails are a separate question though. Bladder snails want calcium, so GH 16 is good news for them rather than bad. Something else got them. Did they go before or after the rock went in?

Yes, the KH is not the issue, I am talking about GH.

Understood about the rock.

Well they have been in there several months WITH the rock, and I had some ghost shrimp in there too, which did fine. But now after several months the bladder snails are dying off. (Ghost shrimp are not in the tank anymore).

 

[fishthatfit]

Topping up instead of changing water does the same thing to a 5 gallon that it does to a kettle. Everything that evaporates leaves its minerals behind, and soft tap still carries some, so a year of top-offs walks GH up on its own.

That fits your timing better than the rock does. A slow creep is what thins an invert population out over months rather than all at once.

Test your tap GH and see how far apart the two numbers are.

 

[Whitecloudminnowguy095 1]

Topping up instead of changing water does the same thing to a 5 gallon that it does to a kettle. Everything that evaporates leaves its minerals behind, and soft tap still carries some, so a year of top-offs walks GH up on its own.

That fits your timing better than the rock does. A slow creep is what thins an invert population out over months rather than all at once.

Test your tap GH and see how far apart the two numbers are.

Oh no, I do not do top offs at all. With Equilibrium or water in general. I do weekly 60% water changes (according to my fert plan, GLA).


Alright I will test it.

 

[fishthatfit]

That rules out more than it looks like it does. At 60% a week, anything dosed once is down to about 6 percent of itself three weeks later, so that single dose of Equilibrium is long gone and can't be what's holding 16.

Which means the source is either weekly or constant. Worth checking whether your GLA schedule has a GH booster in it at water changes: that's calcium and magnesium sulfate, the same thing Equilibrium is, and it would be going back in every time you refill.

 

[Whitecloudminnowguy095 1]

That rules out more than it looks like it does. At 60% a week, anything dosed once is down to about 6 percent of itself three weeks later, so that single dose of Equilibrium is long gone and can't be what's holding 16.

Which means the source is either weekly or constant. Worth checking whether your GLA schedule has a GH booster in it at water changes: that's calcium and magnesium sulfate, the same thing Equilibrium is, and it would be going back in every time you refill.

I do add magnesium and calcium every water change, but I do that with my other tanks (normal GH levels) too.

 

[fishthatfit]

Then that is your source, and the thing to check is whether you are dosing per tank or per gallon. Calcium and magnesium at a fixed scoop or capful lands very differently in a 5 gallon than in a bigger tank, and if the other tanks are larger they would read normal on the same dose that puts this one at 16. What does the GLA schedule say the amount is per gallon, and what are you actually putting in the 5?

 

[TwoTankAmin36]

You are actually the cause of the elevated GH. What is below comes from the Seachem site and explains why this is the case.:
https://www.seachem.com/equilibrium.php

Equilibrium
Restores and maintains mineral balance and GH
Does not contain sodium or chloride like competing products
Ideally suited for use with RO or DI water or any mineral deficient water


To raise mineral content/general hardness (GH) by 1 meq/L (3 dH), add 16 g (1 tablespoon) for every 80 L (20 US gallons) when setting up an aquarium or when making water changes (add to new water). For optimum solubility we recommend mixing with 1 L (1 qt.) of water (the resulting mixture will have a white opaque appearance). When this mixture is added to the aquarium it will impart a slight haze that should clear within 15–30 minutes. HINTS: Do not use Equilibrium™ when replacing evaporated water. This dose is based on DI or RO water; for other water, measure hardness (GH) first, then add according to need. For precise dosing, use the Seachem Digital Spoon Scale.

Plant preferences vary, but a general guide is about 1–2 meq/L (3–6 dH) or match the existing or target carbonate hardness (KH), which, ideally, is also about 1–2 meq/L (3–6 dKH). Equilibrium™ will compact with age, but remains effective.


I use Equilibrium in a couple of my tanks which are heavily planted and also contain shrimp and assassin snails. Between the plants and the shrimp and snails there is not enough of what they use that contributes to GH in my water. So with each weekly water change I add a small amount of Equilibrium. I do not want to increase my GH so I am using way less than the dosages SeaChem suggests above. I have 3 tanks to which I add Equilibrium.

The 3 tanks are a 78, a 29 and a 15. I add less than 1/2 of a teaspoon to the 75 and much less to the other tanks. I do it by eye but I have been doing this now for a few years and my eyeballing method is pretty accurate.

 

[Whitecloudminnowguy095 1]

Then that is your source, and the thing to check is whether you are dosing per tank or per gallon. Calcium and magnesium at a fixed scoop or capful lands very differently in a 5 gallon than in a bigger tank, and if the other tanks are larger they would read normal on the same dose that puts this one at 16. What does the GLA schedule say the amount is per gallon, and what are you actually putting in the 5?

I will check. I have a paper with the exact measurements. But I do it per gallon.

 

[fishthatfit]

Per gallon of new water, or per gallon of tank volume? At a 60 percent change those are nearly a factor of two apart, and the Equilibrium rate on the box is written for the change water only.

If the paper turns out to say the same thing you have been doing, then what separates this tank from the normal ones is how much water actually leaves each week rather than what goes back in.