Parameters. Kh Gh Ph etc

[Dan Steveo]

Hello all,

Well i haven't had a tank for a while and this one i've got has been running just over a month, It's doing great, I'm getting a Blue Phantom Pleco and a Starlight bristlenose pleco and i know they are better suited to soft waters...

So here goes. I've bought a kit for ph that comes with the ph up and ph down,

First question: As i lower the ph, will the hardness decrease too? and is it a significant amount? I'm considering buying a hardness tester too, however the amount i've spent recently.....

Second question, i know peat reduces the water softness but is this by lets say 1 level/degree or does it continue right down to a certain level? in other words how much will it reduce the hardness and will it go too low if i leave it?

and third question, i've checked the backgrounds of my other fish and they should be ok, but is there anything i'm missing? I remember my water being just into the alkalinity last time i had a tank, however at one point it did increase... perhaps after a big water change...

oooh fourth question, will peat fibre reduce ph too? i obviously don't want to lower it then use peat and do it again.

ok and final question, does peat make the water go brown? if so is there an easy countermeasure? i don't want to put peat in then do a lot of water changes which increase the ph etc again... no point really.

Thanks Guys and sorry it's long haha.

 

[Dan Steveo]

Or is there something that just passively reduces or maintains softness and low ph? like lets say an ornament, plant or type of wood>>

Thanks all

 

[nanu156]

ummm honestly don"t play with your ph it is more likely to kill your fish then help them mine hang in the tank as is ph is mid sevens they have grown to full size and did so rapidly

when you raise or lower ph (or hardness) you make it possible to have it crash or spike the fluctuation are more likely to wipe out your tank and they are very likely to happen

 

[Dan Steveo]

oh i see ok then, thanks =] i'll leave it then i suppose. Is it the same even if you only adjust a small amount?

 

[nanu156]

yet changes in ph are deadly to fish if you are artificially raising or lowering it then if you stop miss a day or forget it will spike or crash

pete makes your water brown btw and isnt real pretty

the you mentioned softening the water as well the only way i can think of to soften water is to raise salinity (aquarium salt) plecos won"t like this a bit

 

[Dan Steveo]

ok got it, thank you so much =]