[Wet Thumb Forum]-GH KH with Carbo Plus unit Help - Fertilizing

imported_Austin · 01-11-2005, 04:32 AM

Good Day everyone, I was recently given a carbo plus unit, and in speaking with my local fish guy who has one in there display tank I was told that it will actually lower my KH due to the conversion process it uses to make CO2.

After hearing this he recommended Kent R/O right in order to put back the nutrients into the water after and recommended doing this after my water changes.

I use regular tap water and the levels from my tap are as follow

PH 7.6
GH 120 ppm or 6.7
KH 60 ppm or 3.36

Now in my tank the readings with the carbo running are

PH 6.8 - 7.0
GH hasnt changed
KH is now down to 40 or 2.24

My question is this will the R/O right increase my KH or stabilize it and will this affect my ability to calculate my CO2.

Or can anyone suggest another way to raise my KH so that it will not affect my ability to calculate my CO2 I have heard baking soda does that affect readings?

Thanks

Austin

imported_Austin · 01-11-2005, 04:32 AM

Good Day everyone, I was recently given a carbo plus unit, and in speaking with my local fish guy who has one in there display tank I was told that it will actually lower my KH due to the conversion process it uses to make CO2.

After hearing this he recommended Kent R/O right in order to put back the nutrients into the water after and recommended doing this after my water changes.

I use regular tap water and the levels from my tap are as follow

PH 7.6
GH 120 ppm or 6.7
KH 60 ppm or 3.36

Now in my tank the readings with the carbo running are

PH 6.8 - 7.0
GH hasnt changed
KH is now down to 40 or 2.24

My question is this will the R/O right increase my KH or stabilize it and will this affect my ability to calculate my CO2.

Or can anyone suggest another way to raise my KH so that it will not affect my ability to calculate my CO2 I have heard baking soda does that affect readings?

Thanks

Austin

Margolis · 01-11-2005, 05:18 AM

take the kent ro right back to the store if you already have it. It is worthless. Plus the fact that is intended to raise the gh, not the kh. If this unit is actually reducing your kh like that, just use arm&hammer baking soda to raise the kh. 1/2 teaspoon per 10 gallons should increase your kh by about 50ppm. Adjust accordingly.

And then monitor on a regular basis and add the baking soda as needed to keep it a little more stable, maybe around 80ppm. Big swings aren't the greatest. Add it slowly also, you don't want to shock anything with the sudden increase if you add it too fast.

Margolis · 01-11-2005, 05:20 AM

btw, keep us updated on how well that unit actually works.

imported_Austin · 01-11-2005, 05:28 AM

Thanks for the reply Margolis, will definitly keep updating the thread with info.

Will the baking soda affect any other parameter? As in the coraltion of ph, gh and the ability to get an accurate co2 reading along with ph?

And if I notice my GH fall as well ( Hasnt yet ) would I then use the R/O right? and againa ny ill effects for testing?

Margolis · 01-11-2005, 06:02 AM

baking soda is the perfect thing to increase kh, which naturally increases ph also. All is well. Your co2 readings will be spot on.

If you want to adjust your gh, I still say r/o right is garbage. I have tried it and it doesn't affect the gh nearly enough for the amount of tds it puts into the water. It also affects the ph, which it says it won't. For a commercial product use seachems Equilibrium, it is designed specifically for adjusting the gh of planted aquariums and is a superb product. And it will not affect any of your calculations either.

imported_Austin · 01-11-2005, 06:14 AM

Cheers thanks margolis, Ill slowly add some baking soda and chart my progress, I am assuming mh GH for the moment is ok as the readings havent changed so that ill forget about for the moment.

I think its time to head over to gregwatson.com and place an order, liquid ferts are killing me.

imported_Left C · 01-11-2005, 09:45 AM

I use Seachem's Alkaline Buffer to increase KH. It's made for planted tanks. I have to mix some of Seachem's Acid Buffer with it to get my pH right. I took my Carbo-Plus unit out and went with Nutri-Fin's (Hagen's) CO2 unit and got better results. With the Carbo-Plus, you have to clean the stainless steel around the carbon block regulary. The problem that I had with mine was the little contact spring would break well before the carbon block was used up costing another $30-$35. The Hagen is much cheaper to use.

imported_Austin · 01-11-2005, 12:32 PM

Im controllign my ph with C)2 so I want to add as little as possible, its just i know the KH drops due to the workings of the carbo unit.

This unit has no spring looks like that was changed most likely due to breakage on earlier units.

Margolis · 01-12-2005, 02:16 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Left C:
I use Seachem's Alkaline Buffer to increase KH. It's made for planted tanks. I have to mix some of Seachem's Acid Buffer with it to get my pH right. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

seachem's alkaline buffer is just expensive baking soda

And adding the acid buffer to it to get the proper ph is just a temporary fix. The ph will rise right back up after a little aeration. I don't know what they use for the acid buffer, but it doesn't last long and it does destroy a little bit of the kh with each dose it seems.