Aquarium Water Hardness For Beginners: Ph, Gh & Kh

20 Questions And Answer About Aquarium Water Hardness For Beginners: Ph, Gh & Kh. Confused about degrees and parts per million? Why is the hardness important? My top 20 questions are answered by Callie Parker. She is the president of the BCAS, Bucks County Aquarium Society and is a professional in the hobby as well. She is very knowledgable about water chemistry and I want to know!
Here is Callie’s channel: / @aquariumwizard
Here is a timeline to the 20 questions and answers:
0:00 Intro for Video
0:40 Intro to Callie Parker
1:19 Q-1 How do I know what my hardness is?
2:23 Q-2 Does carbonate hardness have anything to do with carbon?
3:22 Q-3 What is Carbonate Hardness KH?
4:47 Q-4 Why do I need to both the GH and KH?
5:55 Q-5 Is general hardness in my tap water?
6:45 Q-6 Is the hardness correlated with my pH?
8:10 Q-7 What is the measurement of hardness for my fish?
9:33 Q-8 What happens to the hardness with RODI water?
10:25 Q-9 Can I raise and lower my hardness?
11:44 Conversion rate for degrees and ppm
11:50 Q-10 Do plants change the hardness?
12:46 Q-11 When should I Test for GH and Kh and pH?
13:30 Q-12 Brand new tanks and new fish keepers
14:01 Q-13 What should new fish keepers test for and know
15:52 Q-14 What happens to fish in empty water
17:00 Q-15 How to make it easier for fish keepers
17:30 Q-16 How to set your hardness for your fish
18:17 Q-17 what about a quarantine tank?
19:11 Q-18 Does algae have anything to do with hardness?
20:06 Q-19 What to know about KH and GH when setting up a tank?
20:50 Q-20 Does the GH and KH have anything to do with breeding?
21:28 Thank you Callie Parker
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[@vampgaia]

I’ve listened to this twice. I think I’m gonna listen again and this time take notes. I’m old school. If I write it down, I understand it better. Thanks for this lesson!

[@QueAquatics]

I keep going back to it also

[@jamesparadigm]

Thank you for sharing this conversation. I feel like I've gained a better understanding on the importance of water hardness from this easy-to-digest information. 💚

[@QueAquatics]

Thank you! She is awesome

[@tinynina76]

Very informative, thank you!👏

[@QueAquatics]

Glad it was helpful!

[@thebenraines]

I know this is older but this is one of the best videos to explain the relationship between PH, KH, and GH the aquarium, water, bacteria and fish.

[@QueAquatics]

Callie is amazing

[@rootsnwhiskers8351]

Suzy awesome guest! Callie you're a Rockstar 🙂 Thank you for sharing your knowledge and educating others.

[@QueAquatics]

She is so AWESOME

[@twunderaquatics1770]

This video is very informative. Thanks so much for doing this one. Can't say enough good things about. 👍

[@QueAquatics]

Thanks Terry! Callie is awesome

[@SusanforSLCAquatics]

Awesomeness on a scale of 10!

[@QueAquatics]

Thank you

[@CaylorsReptilesAquatics]

Susan great guest and content per usual! Conga rats 🐀 on 5K subscribers, I didn’t realize you’d hit another milestone!

[@QueAquatics]

Thank you Bob! I don’t think I was celebrating last week but am ready to now!!!

[@TripleJAquatics]

Great info!

[@QueAquatics]

Thank you

[@CJBlack265]

Excellent information!! I'll listening to this a few more times - seems to be a lot of misinformation out there - Thank you Suzy!💕👍

[@QueAquatics]

Callie is amazing!!

[@faridsattari6005]

Best explanation ever!

[@QueAquatics]

She is great

[@Cleeon]

Because watching this I'm realized now that I am very lucky with our well water, thanks so much

[@QueAquatics]

I grew up with well water, you are very lucky

[@jimwilliamson5603]

Great discussion, lots of good information. Does Callie have a KZbin channel? If no, why not? I feel we need more "educators" in this hobby.

[@QueAquatics]

Yes! I also put her link in the video

[@jimwilliamson5603]

There is a link for Callie? I didn't see one but that doesn't mean it's not there. Lol.. I did look a couple of times.

[@QuadzQuad]

kzbin.info/door/3w16obOsoRAzEB_3oT3O2A

[@cindywood2089]

So I have a betta fish And I used tap water and my pH is around 7.8, GH was 14% in KH was 6. How can I bring my GH down and my pH down? I do have a little bit of Fritz's dark water which is almond leaves extract in the water but not much. Should I add more or should I do a 30% water change and add reverse osmosis water back in maybe?

[@QueAquatics]

I don’t chase pH but I do add dark water, and almond leaves and almost always fill the tank after a water change with 1/2 tap and 1/2 RO

[@_Lamnidae_]

I’m starting a 6.6 gal aquarium for my betta. My tap water has 136 gh ppm. I want to lower it. Can you please tell me how to lower it and will aquarium substrate reduce it or increase it with spending less money?

[@QueAquatics]

It depends on the substrate, try a dark water set up

[@eyesonhu1762]

Do you have any recommendations for the chemistry of water for turtle aquariums

[@QueAquatics]

I do not

[@conman20000]

So, if my tanks parameters aren't right for said fish, should I change the GH and KH right away or is that something that has to be done gradually as is done for PH? On that note I know some fish are raised in different water parameters then they would live in the wild, so which water would I want to simulate for them?

[@QueAquatics]

Most fish these days days live in very different parameters than they would in the wild. If you make a change I would do so very gradually

[@conman20000]

@@QueAquatics so should I just change it to what the fish shop had em at, or to what they would have in the wild?

[@cindywood2089]

When I set up my aquarium I used RO but then someone said to do water changes and add tap water but my tap water has filters on it so it's soft. I live in Pennsylvania also . My GH is about 75 and my lkh is maybe 20. My pH is 6.8 and I have danios, cories, tetras, three guppies and one Molly left out of 4. Someone told me to get rid of the guppies and the Molly because they need different KH and GH than my other fish. Can I keep the guppies in there with the numbers that I have currently? I have high nitrites and nitrates because my aquarium is relatively new and hasn't finished cycling. Someone told me to do a water change everyday 50%, but then someone else said not to because that would remove beneficial bacteria that I need to start the cycle. Any suggestions?

[@QueAquatics]

Are you starting a tank and need to start a cycle? Or do you have a tank that crashed? I would never do 50% water changes everyday (but that is just me)

[@QueAquatics]

How To Cycle an Aquarium kzbin.info/www/bejne/hHPPi5-ifdV-nJY

[@stephenjasko1972]

Do water conditioners alter Gh? Some remove metals.

[@QueAquatics]

I guess it would depend on the specific conditioner, they are not all made the same

[@franciscoo.8656]

I just don’t get it. When i bring the pH down to pH6 and I add seachem alkaline to buffer my water, I only get KH 2.5 and my pH goes all the way to 8.00. I am trying to keep guppies (sunrise guppy) with a KH of 10 or even 15 but i find this impossible because as I add the buffer pH goes way higher. :( this is way i just want to quit. Or just have my guppies with filtered water with out KH. (So boring water) does anyone knows how to get a KH of 10-30 with a 7-8pH. Is this even possible?

[@QueAquatics]

I am going to see if Callie answers this for you

[@batkat0]

High pH isn't a huge issue for guppies. Guppies and live-bearers in general love hard water and neutral to highish pH. I would stop messing with your pH. Keep your kH above 4dgh to buffer your pH and keep it stable. Gh can be 10-15dgh

[@wetwaterfish]

My tap water's KH is ZERO... water changes seems to do more bad than good

[@QueAquatics]

Do you add anything to your water after a water change?

[@wetwaterfish]

@@QueAquatics I have crushed coral and aragonite to buffer it, but with every water change it drops the KH and GH alot, and then PH go haywire. Frustrating. Need to add baking soda and cichlid salt when doing a water change but it's never perfect. On my way to achieve the full cycle, with no nitrates I will be doing alot less waterchanges.

[@robertoduranos5196]

Im getting a cat..

[@QueAquatics]

Sweet!!

[@alyssac0]

Lol yes. So much easier