Tropica soil with very hard tap water

[demetrisag]

Hi all, I wanted to share a concern with you. I just started my aquarium, just hardscape for now until the nitrogen cycle complete. What I noticed is the substrate took my kh nearly to 0dKH! My tap water has 17dKh! I am kinda worried now, when I am doing 50% water changes won't the massive swing on KH affect my livestock? Especially if I do that everyweek?

Also when the buffering stops what can I do to keep plants and livestock happy?

Thanks!

 

[Tom Delattre]

I've been asking that around, including to George, Jurijs and Dennis Wong. Everybody told me it was nothing to worry about. I still have trouble wrapping my head around it.
Same question if you remineralize water with gh+kh : obviously the kh you add is "eaten away" by the substrate.

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[demetrisag]

I could I suppose use osmosis water and remineralize with just GH (seachem equilibrium) and let the kh be 0. But I want to avoid osmosis water. I want to use tap water, but the conditions the substrate creates don't seem to be compatible with my tap water

 

[Tom Delattre]

There are some answers here : Tropica soil PH buffering

Tropica soil PH buffering

Envoyé de mon KB2003 en utilisant Tapatalk

 

[demetrisag]

I know i have read it, there are some answers but not the answer I need 🤔

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

. I want to use tap water, but the conditions the substrate creates don't seem to be compatible with my tap water

All these active substrates work via <"ion exchange">, which means that the ions (Ca++. Mg++, HCO3-) your hard water will rapidly fill up the exchange sites and at that point the substrate will stop reducing the dGH and dKH.

just hardscape for now until the nitrogen cycle complete

Just carry on changing water and your substrate will reach equilibrium with tap water a lot more quickly. You never need to use ammonia to "cycle" a planted tank, you just need to plant it and then wait until the plants are grown in before adding any livestock.

Most of the advice you get about both <"pH stability"> and <"cycling"> is wrong. Have a look at <"Dr Timothy Hovanec's .............">.

cheers Darrel

 

[demetrisag]

Hi all,

All these active substrates work via <"ion exchange">, which means that the ions (Ca++. Mg++, HCO3-) your hard water will rapidly fill up the exchange sites and at that point the substrate will stop reducing the dGH and dKH.

Just carry on changing water and your substrate will reach equilibrium with tap water a lot more quickly. You never need to use ammonia to "cycle" a planted tank, you just need to plant it and then wait until the plants are grown in before adding any livestock.

Most of the advice you get about both <"pH stability"> and <"cycling"> is wrong. Have a look at <"Dr Timothy Hovanec's .............">.

cheers Darrel

I have been reading that soil will take a long time to stop buffering what if I dont want to do all the water changes until it's depleted, would this be harmfull to my plants and fishes to do water changes with such a big difference at KH?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

would this be harmfull to my plants and fishes to do water changes with such a big difference at KH?

The plants should be fine. It could be an issue with the fish if you <"kept Lake Tanganyika cichlids">, but not for nearly all other fish. It might also be an <"issue for snails">, but only in the short term until the substrate and water were at equilibrium (both <"fully saturated"> with Ca++ and HCO3- ions).

cheers Darrel

 

[demetrisag]

Hi all,

The plants should be fine. It could be an issue with the fish if you <"kept Lake Tanganyika cichlids">, but not for nearly all other fish. It might also be an <"issue for snails">, but only in the short term until the substrate and water were at equilibrium (both <"fully saturated"> with Ca++ and HCO3- ions).

cheers Darrel

Thanks for the reply Daniel! I was thinking about tetras, zebras, otos and shrimps (and maybe guppies)

 

[Nick potts]

I have been reading that soil will take a long time to stop buffering what if I dont want to do all the water changes until it's depleted, would this be harmfull to my plants and fishes to do water changes with such a big difference at KH?

I don't think you will have any issues, the number of people using aqua soil and don't even bother checking KH.

If you really wanted to, you could make a very strong KH solution use that for water changes for a bit, it will soon deplete the buffering capacity.

 

[demetrisag]

Haven't thought of that. Would that be wise you think? Also This is not gonna affect the fertilizing properties of the soil i guess?

 

[Nick potts]

Shouldn't affect the ferts in the soil, it would happen eventually anyway, you'd just be speeding up the process.

 

[Sean Scapes]

I use tropica soil in my low tech tank. I have hard water and my current livestock aren't bothered by it.

I keep Otis, zebra danio, tetras with no issues. My amano shrimp are happy also. I wouldn't worry much about it honestly.