Ideally, freshwater aquariums have a GH between 4-8 dGH (or 70-140 ppm) All animals need some minerals, but
certain fish
like livebearers, goldfish, and African cichlids prefer higher GH levels. If you’re trying to breed discus or other soft water fish, you may need to reduce the GH to 3 dGH (or 50 ppm) or below.
What causes high GH in aquarium?
If you’ve had tap water sit in an open container for days or weeks before using it for a water change, this increases the likelihood of calcium buildup on the walls of the container These buildups are known as “water stains”, and is widely known to be one of the most common causes for high aquarium gH levels.
Is GH important in aquariums?
The
optimal level
for freshwater aquariums is a GH level between 4 – 8 dGH or 70 – 140 ppm While all animals need minerals, species such as livebearers, goldfish, and African cichlids are happier with higher GH levels.
What is GH and KH in aquarium?
There are two types of water hardness: KH and GH. KH measures an aquarium’s
carbonate hardness
, or the degree to which it is able to buffer against pH fluctuations. GH stands for general hardness, which measures the number of dissolved calcium and magnesium ions. GH is crucial for the growth of certain fish species.
Does GH increase pH?
Limestone contains calcium carbonate, which when dissolved in water increases both the GH (from calcium) and KH (from carbonate) components. Increasing the KH component also usually increases pH as well Conceptually, the KH acts as a “sponge” absorbing the acid present in the water, raising the water’s pH.
Will plants
lower gh
?
GH can become lower in your tank because fish and plants use up the trace minerals.
How do I lower the hardness in my aquarium water?
You can soften aquarium water by reducing the concentration of dissolved calcium and magnesium This process involves either deionization, chemical filtration, or peat moss/driftwood water softening.
How can water hardness be reduced?
- Chemical softening—lime softening, hot and cold; lime-soda softening.
- Membrane separation softening—Nano filtration.
- Cation exchange softening—inorganic, carbonaceous, or organic base exchangers.
Does
water conditioner lower gh
?
Water softening crystals are a cheap and simple way to make your aquarium water less hard. They work by displacing calcium and magnesium ions to reduce GH levels in your aquarium.
Is GH or KH more important?
GH and KH are both needed in a system for different reasons. GH is vital to a fish’s biological functions Although KH doesn’t affect fish in the same way, its capacity to stabilize pH is reason for regular monitoring. That’s because fluctuations in pH can be fatal to fish.
What’s more important KH or GH?
Plants and livestock are generally less sensitive to GH than KH Plants that require soft water to grow well require low KH values, but not necessarily low GH values. These plants are sensitive to alkalinity, to be accurate, rather than General hardness.
What is a good KH level?
Planted tanks generally do better at lower KH ranges than higher. With regards to growing plants, between 1-2 dKH you can keep sensitive softwater species. (Some Eriocaulons and Tonina species will not survive in higher KH tanks). Between 2-7 dKH you can keep 97% of all commercial aquatic plants in optimal condition.
Should aquarium water be soft or hard?
Moderately hard water (6-12 °GH/100-200 ppm). This range of general hardness is preferred by most species of tropical fish. This includes most livebearers, like mollies and platies, and is the optimal range for betta fish. Hard water (12-18 °GH/200-300 ppm).
Does water hardness affect fish?
Many fish can only thrive in certain levels of water hardness , and if the levels are outside acceptable parameters, it can cause stress and death.
Is GH and KH the same?
KH and GH are different and KH is not part of any GH measurement. Therefore, KH and GH can be higher or lower than one another and provide no real indication of each other. KH is a measurement of bicarbonates and carbonates and GH of total calcium and magnesium. Most salt water aquariums naturally have very high KH.
How do I lower the GH in my planted tank?
The best way to introduce water with a low GH is to fill the aquarium with Reverse Osmosis water This tap water purification process removes nitrates, phosphates, chlorine and minerals, and produces water that is pure. Treat the pure RO with a remineralizer for RO and you will have perfect aquarium water.
Do plants like high GH?
GH and KH are not a problem for most plants , unless the KH is so high that it makes the pH greater than 8.0. At that point it starts to interfere with the absorption of iron.
Does water conditioner lower hardness?
Unlike a water softener, a water conditioner does not remove hardness particles from your water supply It “conditions” water and changes the chemistry of the particles for a certain amount of time to keep it from building up. “Water conditioner” is a broad term for a wide variety of products and technologies.
Does drift wood lower pH?
Adding some natural Driftwood to your aquarium will safely lower its pH levels Like Peat Moss, driftwood will release tannins into your tank’s water, reducing the pH.
How can I soften my aquarium water naturally?
- Peat. Peat can be added into the aquarium filter or directly into the tank, but usually, the best results will come from placing it in the filter
- Water Softener Pillows
- Driftwood
- Catappa Leaves
- Rainwater
- Distilled Water and Demineralized Water
- Reverse Osmosis Water.
Does water filter remove hardness?
Hard Water Technically speaking, if you want to remove hardness from your water, you’d want a water softener, not a water filter Rather than filtering out the hardness minerals of calcium and magnesium, a water softener exchanges them for sodium ions.
How can we remove hardness of water naturally?
- Install an ion exchange shower head filter.
- Install an ion exchange softener for your entire water supply.
- Boil away impurities.
- Use baking soda in your cooking water.
- Add washing soda to your laundry.
- Use a reverse osmosis filter in aquariums.
How do I lower the GH in my shrimp tank?
- Use Softer Water for Water Changes. The easiest and most controlled option is to add softer water to your tank during water changes
- Peat Moss. Peat moss contains compounds that bind minerals to remove them from the water, thereby lowering GH.
Sources
https://www.swelluk.com/help-guides/how-to-lower-gh-in-your-aquarium
https://www.fdacs.gov/Consumer-Resources/Recreation-and-Leisure/Aquarium-Fish/Aquarium-Water-Quality-Total-Alkalinity-and-Hardness#:~:text=In%20the%20aquarium%20industry%2C%20total%20hardness%20may%20be%20referred%20to,hardness%20are%20calcium%20and%20magnesium.
https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/ph-gh-kh