high kh/acidic ph

[angelcraze]

I don't know if anyone has inquired about this in the past, as I am a new on the forum, but my question is how to achieve a kh of at least 3 let's say with an acidic ph.

I have been battling low ph for years as the water from my tap reads ph=7.2 and kh is a weak 2.  Sometimes, in the past, with weekly w/c, the ph has plummeted to 6.0 or lower!...lesson learned.  

Adding live plants adds a whole new reacton.  The ph plummets at a faster rate as my plants use the c02 for nutrience, resulting in a drastically plummeting ph.

I have since added coral to all my filters to attempt to buffer that kh up a bit.  Even so, I usually end up with a ph between 6.6 and 7.2 depending on what amount of coral I add.  My kh likes to stay at 0 even to a weak 2.

I have recently experimented with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) (like a tsp or 2 in a 120g) to see what happens.

All I have found is that with a kh of 3, the ph sits at 7.3/7.4.  Which I think is too risky with my angels.

Do you think I have to even worry about this for angelfish?
 
I have done tests:
2 gallon bucket  from tap                                         2 gallon bucket from tap
ph=7.2                                                                   ph=7.2
kh=2                                                                      kh=2                                                                        
added 3/8 tsp baking soda                                       added 1/2 tsp baking soda
ph=7.6                                                                   ph=8.2
kh= 6                                                                     kh=14

The parameters remained the                                   added 12 drops sulpheric acid
same two days after the test.                                   ph=7.4
                                                                             kh=13

                                                                            After two days. the ph balance back up tp 8.0
                                                                            kh=13

In my ammature opinion, I know nothing about chemistry, I think the higher kh will equalise the ph to match.

Is there any easier way to achieve this that anyone has came up with, maybe some discus keepers, or angelfish?  I have been told in the beginning of fish keeping that fish will adapt to whatever my fish tank wants to be, but I do not like to make them conform, since I am holding them in captivity, and feel like I should do anything to mimic a natural enviroment.  I love my angels, but also like compatible tankmates like tetras and other dwarf cichlids.

I have looked into kent marine ph stable and ph minus, they claim that a sable ph can be achieved when used as directed, does anyone have experience with this?

Did all this make sense?  Does anyone have any experience/anwers to offer me at all?

Thanks for reading.........
                                                                               

[exv152]

Angelcraze, I don't think you'd be conforming by providing your angels with good quality water no matter what the pH readings are. PH doesn't really do more than provide you with the percentage of hydrogen ions in the water. Too often I see people focus on pH and neglect the other factors that really matter, the factors that really indicate water quality such as low ammonia, low nitrites, moderate nitrates, and some kh and gh. You won't be able to imitate the angelfish's natural habitat because it's impossible, the ph swings wildly from season to season in the amazon tributaries. Also, baking soda is not the best way to buffer kh, placing crushed coral in a media bag is, or by doing large weekly water changes (say 50%) is. This will buffer your water more naturally and slowly. Good luck!

[angelcraze]

Thanks again Eric for your input.  I thought you'd be a good person to talk to after reading some other posts that you have responded to.  Ok, so you made me feel a little better about all the work and testing I may not have to do.

The only reason I was concerned with ph was because I read that a stable ph is only achievable with a kh of 3dk.  I was concerned because this kept my ph at 7.4.  Without the addition of baking soda, the ph of the water in the tank fluctuates between 6.6 and 7.0 and my kh is sometimes nonexistent with crushed coral in the filter.

I agree, I don't like the idea of using baking soda, and I DO do a weekly w/c of 40-50%.  So, I should not be concerned about the fact that my tap water is 7.2 with a kh of only 2?  The gh of tap water is 3.  Should I add more crushed coral to the filter until I get maintain a kh of 3dk, regardless of the ph?

I am not concerned personally, as long as I keep a close eye and add coral accordingly, the only thing that scares me is a possible overnight ph crash, especially if I add plants to the 120g, which I plan to do soon, and keep as a community tank (with angels)

The crushed coral in the filters has helped though, my ph stays at the very least 6.6 instead of 6.0 or below (even with weekly w/c s.  (or if I get too busy, every 10 days max)  Or, am I just worrying for nothing?

Oh, and btw, I am concerned with other conditions like ammonia (0), nitirites (0) and nitrates (5-10ppm), and everything is okay there:)  

Thanks again for the advice.

[Feivel]

in a salt aquarium we use kalkweisser (kalk) to keep our kh up (hardness) it needs to be somewhere high for calcification. so i have to put a lot of kalk in my tank to keep the corals happy. the stuff is like viagra for them.

maybee an aragonite bottom could help keep your ph a little more stable also. thyere are also freshwater soils good for plants that exist out there that will do the same.

cheers

[exv152]

Or, am I just worrying for nothing?

Yes. Chances are your angels were most likely domestically bred and raised in tap water so they wouldn't know any other parameters. I have a 125g tank with a group of Peruvian wild caught angels and I never measure the pH. They've adjusted to whatever the pH out of my tap water is and that's it. The way I see it, at least they'll always be getting the same pH and KH because my tap water is fairly consistent. If your KH is anything higher than 1º degree then you're fine. But I'm sure it is since you're doing large water changes every week.

[angelcraze]

Thank you (two) for your advice.  I will keep running with crushed coral in the filters, add some if I have to and monitor the kh to make sure it stays above 1 degree.  I assume this is enough of a kh even for a lightly, low tech, low light planted tank?

I will try my absolute hardest to put my ph test away...........

viagra.....lol