First, what is your reason for raising the KH? Raising KH +/or GH are two different situations that can alter your water chemistry based on the current PH in your aquarium.
one general way to "buffer" your water is to use crushed coral, (placing it in a net bag in the filter, rather than as a substrate) You can add it to your substrate but it is easier to add or remove from a filter... Another, but caution, as it has to be carefully added, and testing on a regular basis, is Sodium Bicarbonate, (baking soda) but this can change much more drastically, and not recommended unless you are very vigilant with testing.
bottom line is stable water parameters, are usually easier to work with over someone's water that fluctuates. Again my original point though, is why do you want to change it?
I have very low PH in my well water, so with my africans, i tend to add crushed coral to the tank, along with adding some actual coral or limestone based rock.... problem is that you have to monitor it...
If it is for Livebearers, i tend to add some rock salt to my tanks, but again, stay vigilant...
I have some tanks that have gone down to 6.1 and 6.4. In one I lost all of my peacock gudgeons. would like to keep it more stable. Adding equilibrium and using tap water for the most part.
I am in the same situation. can breed corys, some tetras and plecos. Had a nice breeding group of peacock gudgeons that I lost/ Only thing that seemed to change was the pH which went down with no KH,
I wish that I could help, but I deal with exactly the same. 0 kh, I will add baking soda for a quick raise but it will push gh up. Long term crushed coral will raise it over a period of time. Also raising gh but not as much. I did give up chasing it and I tend to stay with low ph species for breeding, apistos, angels and cories.
thanks I will try with caution to raise the KH in one of the tanks.
First, what is your reason for raising the KH? Raising KH +/or GH are two different situations that can alter your water chemistry based on the current PH in your aquarium.
one general way to "buffer" your water is to use crushed coral, (placing it in a net bag in the filter, rather than as a substrate) You can add it to your substrate but it is easier to add or remove from a filter... Another, but caution, as it has to be carefully added, and testing on a regular basis, is Sodium Bicarbonate, (baking soda) but this can change much more drastically, and not recommended unless you are very vigilant with testing.
bottom line is stable water parameters, are usually easier to work with over someone's water that fluctuates. Again my original point though, is why do you want to change it?
I have very low PH in my well water, so with my africans, i tend to add crushed coral to the tank, along with adding some actual coral or limestone based rock.... problem is that you have to monitor it...
If it is for Livebearers, i tend to add some rock salt to my tanks, but again, stay vigilant...
I wish that I could help, but I deal with exactly the same. 0 kh, I will add baking soda for a quick raise but it will push gh up. Long term crushed coral will raise it over a period of time. Also raising gh but not as much. I did give up chasing it and I tend to stay with low ph species for breeding, apistos, angels and cories.