Tap water or remineralize?

[Plants245]

Hi everyone,

Does anyone remineralize our tap water with potassium bicarbonate or are we using straight tap water?

I currently do remineralize it a bit to bring our KH up to about 2.5 ish dkh (it is for a high tech planted tank). But I think that I don't actually I need to.

Our water fits quoted parameters as being comfortable - and our water is soft; but I was wondering what we in the Ottawa area are actually doing.

Also, in that event, anyone dosing calcium and magnesium (or a form of GH booster) if JUST using straight tap water?

Thanks!

[Black_Rose]

I use Seachem Equilibrium in some of my tanks (when I remember) to harden the water for my live bearers.

I don't bother with the other tanks as the other fish don't seem to mind the soft water.

[adamarchibald]

I simply use tap water in my high tech planted aquarium.  The KH and GH creep up a bit over the week due to residual elements in the daily fertilizers so each week before the water change i finish around 6dKH and 7dGH.   I believe my water is coming out around 4dKH from the tap.  If i was less lazy, and used RO water for water changes i would obviously remineralize

[Plants245]

I use Seachem Equilibrium in some of my tanks (when I remember) to harden the water for my live bearers.

I don't bother with the other tanks as the other fish don't seem to mind the soft water.

Thanks for the info! So you are not modifying the KH and everything functions well!

[Plants245]

I simply use tap water in my high tech planted aquarium.  The KH and GH creep up a bit over the week due to residual elements in the daily fertilizers so each week before the water change i finish around 6dKH and 7dGH.   I believe my water is coming out around 4dKH from the tap.  If i was less lazy, and used RO water for water changes i would obviously remineralize

Thanks! I wonder how you are getting 4dKH from the tap -- mine is around 1 dKH ... also, what are you dosing that pushes your KH up so many degrees? Have carbonate based stones in there?

[adamarchibald]

Thanks! I wonder how you are getting 4dKH from the tap -- mine is around 1 dKH ... also, what are you dosing that pushes your KH up so many degrees? Have carbonate based stones in there?

The city has several water processing plants, so my source water maybe different.  I'm located right downtown so my water likely comes form the processing plant in LeBreton flats.  As for the increase over the week, could definitely be getting some from the hard scape, but unlikely that much.  The ferts I mix up employ some MgSO4.7H2O which will of course add magnesium however there is some dKH that gets in there too.   I did relook at my readings that i have logged and i think i may have over stated how much the dKH rises, it is likely only going up about 1dKH

[Plants245]

The city has several water processing plants, so my source water maybe different.  I'm located right downtown so my water likely comes form the processing plant in LeBreton flats.  As for the increase over the week, could definitely be getting some from the hard scape, but unlikely that much.  The ferts I mix up employ some MgSO4.7H2O which will of course add magnesium however there is some dKH that gets in there too.   I did relook at my readings that i have logged and i think i may have over stated how much the dKH rises, it is likely only going up about 1dKH

Thanks! I am in the west end - do you know which water I am getting?