# Strange problem with water staying too soft even with additives



## silver2wind (Aug 9, 2009)

I'm new to planted tanks but have had one setup with amazonia II soil for over a month now. Lighting is 65watts over a 30 gallon, diy co2, pH 6.4, kH 2, but gH stays at 1 even when I add hardening additives such as Kent marine R/O right. Is the amazonia II at fault for this? It seems that the plants do have either a ca or mg deficiency, which Kent marine R/O right provides yet the gH just won't go up even with recommended dosages that should bring it to 4-5degrees. 

I also dose Brighty K as recommended and flourish excel.

I also recently (2 days now) hung about 1lb of crushed coral next to the filter intake in a mesh bag to try to get the gH and kH up a bit, I still haven't seen any change. How long should it take for crushed coral to have an effect usually?

If left to my own ideas I am thinking of buying some seachem flourish, stopping the kent marine r/o right except for during water changes, and wait and see if the crushed coral does anything at all.

Thanks for any help,
David


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## Avi (Apr 7, 2004)

I suggest that you consider beginning to use Estimative Index-dosing. It inexpensive and easy. I have had very good results with it Take a look at this:

http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=104737

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/fertilizing/15225-estimative-index-dosing-guide.html

There are a number of different vendors that sell the ferts that you'd need. I use this one and am satisfied:

http://www.aquariumfertilizer.com/index.asp?Option1=products

One of the products that they sell is GH Booster and that more than likely would resolve your issue, using it along with the ferts.


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

Crush coral is the way to go but 2 days are too short to see the result. Would water change bring the result higher? If it is than do more often water change even just a little at a time cause all water have some ca or mg.

Do not mix Seachem products with ADA(I think it is just aqua soil with acid buffer), they have problems sometime that I have not figure it out what it is exactly. But it could be just me...



silver2wind said:


> I'm new to planted tanks but have had one setup with amazonia II soil for over a month now. Lighting is 65watts over a 30 gallon, diy co2, pH 6.4, kH 2, but gH stays at 1 even when I add hardening additives such as Kent marine R/O right. Is the amazonia II at fault for this? It seems that the plants do have either a ca or mg deficiency, which Kent marine R/O right provides yet the gH just won't go up even with recommended dosages that should bring it to 4-5degrees.
> 
> I also dose Brighty K as recommended and flourish excel.
> 
> ...


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## silver2wind (Aug 9, 2009)

so then you are suggesting I should not add any seachem equilibrium in the mean time or add seachem flourish in the future? What negative effects did you see using seachem products and ada amazonia ii?


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## Minsc (May 7, 2006)

It is probably the amazonia. It can pull things out of the water quite effectively. 
In my opinion, most perceived nutrient deficiencies are actually a lack of CO2 and/or insufficient flow and gas exchange.

As for Seachem equilibrium, it is pretty much the same thing as the GH boosters sold much much cheaper through various online sources. It will raise GH and give you extra potassium, iron and a couple other trace elements.

RO right has sodium in it, which really has no business in a fresh water tank.


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## silver2wind (Aug 9, 2009)

Thanks for the input. I thought I would update, I changed up my diy co2 diffuser a bit by having about 1.5 inches of crushed coral in the bottom for the bubbles to pass through as they're churned around by the powerhead in a vacuum tube (I can post up a picture if someone is curious what I mean). I figure the added water flow through the coral will increase its effect. My pH is steady at 6.5 and I've just used a little bit of seachem equilibrium to get the GH up a bit during a water change so that the shrimps don't suffer form severely soft water. With the help of the coral I'm hoping it will stay steady at 4degrees like it has been today.

And I agree that my so called deficiency was probably due to lack of CO2, I am already getting pearling and great looking new growth (knock on wood)

Thanks again,
David


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Try checking your test kit. It might be giving you a false reading. Use the fertilator on APC (top left of site) to calculate a known amount of calcium or magnesium and add it to some distilled water.


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## Coralite (Nov 29, 2008)

Why are you trying to harden your water? Water comes out of my tap at 1/1 Kh/Gh and i basically leave it at that. I dose CO2 at a high rate and leave it bubbling all night too, so what if my pH is <5.8?


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

AAS I and II will both buffer down your water; that's how it works. Personally I wouldn't be too concerned; KH is nothing to worry about, especially when the substrate buffers. pH shouldn't go too horribly low either. If nothing else, flip to a brand of AS or other substrate that doesn't buffer down.

-Philosophos


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## Minsc (May 7, 2006)

silver2wind said:


> And I agree that my so called deficiency was probably due to lack of CO2, I am already getting pearling and great looking new growth (knock on wood)


Excellent!


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## lilypotter2009 (Jun 26, 2009)

Good Information Thanks!!!


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## silver2wind (Aug 9, 2009)

Coralite said:


> Why are you trying to harden your water? Water comes out of my tap at 1/1 Kh/Gh and i basically leave it at that. I dose CO2 at a high rate and leave it bubbling all night too, so what if my pH is <5.8?


I know a sustained pH of 5.8 isn't necessarily bad for an aquarium, however, my tap water is over 8pH and causes pH swings with water changes. Now that I have stabilized my kH at 3 I do not get much of a pH shift at all with the same volume water change.

Also, I keep some shrimp and assassin snails and while they don't NEED hard water, having very soft water isn't great for them. I wanted to get gH to at least 3, which I have now been able to sustain using an initial dose of equilibrium and some crushed coral hung in the aquarium.


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

If they need GH but not KH then just dump in some more ferts; they'll provide everything for osmotic pressure. I've run tanks on 95% or more RO and almost completely inert substrate. I only added ferts, and had tricky species live happily showing bright, healthy color with nice fin growth.

I'm not sure why people find them selves concerned with KH being low. Many of us have tanks with bottomed out KH, refill from 7.5-8.5+ tap using AAS, and still manage healthy stock.

-Philosophos


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