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KH at 0

muckyhands · 2012-07-15 23:35:25

Thought I should start a new thread for this to avoid confusion. Background is have a planted tank 450litre clearseal with T5 lighting and CO2 kit filtered by Eheim classic 2217. The CO2 sensor said PH was 5.2 ( which prompted tapwater test re other thread) In this instance probe was faulty and needed to be replaced (was…

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16-07-2012 12:35am

#1

muckyhands

Registered Users Posts: 407 ✭✭

Join Date: October 2011

Posts: 380

Thought I should start a new thread for this to avoid confusion.

Background is have a planted tank 450litre clearseal with T5 lighting and CO2 kit filtered by Eheim classic 2217.

The CO2 sensor said PH was 5.2 ( which prompted tapwater test re other thread) In this instance probe was faulty and needed to be replaced (was 15 months old). Tested PH with kit and got a reading of 6 and PH was actually 5.8 when new sensor was installed today.

Carried out other tests and problem now is KH level doesnt even register- its 0. :eek:

Nitrates at 25mg/l. Unusually high as plants usually use them up- but could the lower PH mean plants couldnt utilise them?

Tapwater is KH3. Had set CO2 kit at KH3 on automatic and this regulates PH at 6.6 accordingly. Has never been this low- makes sense now, no KH=no buffer so PH dropped.

I know nitrification consumes KH, as nitrates go up KH comes down, but could there be any other reason? Have added some new fish in the last week or so (6 Stendker discus) and theres a lot of assasin snails in the tank already. Could they be causing an overload on the filtration system I wonder- the snails? Theres an awful lot of them...

Got Seachem reef builder which I was told by fishshop raises KH but not PH. Initialy raises PH but drops down again so needs to be mixed in a bucket of water first and then addded to tank...

Did this this evening, as per instructions on it. PH increased from 5.8 to 6.2 but then with KH0 I have no buffer so I expected that could happen. Tested KH after and its now 2.

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