Understanding Water Chemistry - pH, gH, kH and TDS

Water chemistry is one of the most critical parts of finding success with fish tanks, so let's talk the basics and some more details too.
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[@hawkinsteve]

As a chemist, I can say this is a very good explanation of these parameters.

[@BentleyPascoe]

Thank you so much!

[@patricklaundra3286]

AWSOME !!!!! :) thank yo so much. I'll watch this a few times to solidify it in my mind. this is exactly what I was asking. you rock dude. I really appreciate you not only reading my e-mail. but also taking so much time to explain this in basic terms. the personal shout out was awesome too .. I figure understanding this is just the essential foundation ..

[@XxSwagGamersxX]

No way Bentley makes a video on a topic I’ve been wanting

[@johnnybest6386]

Good info❤

[@FishEZ]

#Replaycrew I will replay this several times to totally comprehend all the details. Thanks Bentley.

[@richardreynolds9896]

Awesome information! Catching the replay. Received the towel this week. Thank you so much!

[@DebzAquaPetz]

Thanks Bentley enjoyable informative stream take care 🤗 💖

[@TheSunIsMyDestroyer]

This channel is all I need to learn everything about this hobby.

[@nabokovfan87]

Feel better Bentley!

[@mariaz9538]

Replay crew 💪 great stream. I appreciate the info. Feel better soon buddy. I’m looking forward to seeing you again and talking rainbows and plecos 💕🎄

[@tessblog3384]

awesome content keep it up and good luck INTERESTING

[@MFTAQ]

Feel better Bentley, replay crew.

[@nabokovfan87]

Follow up video about how plants mess with your KH and GH over time?

[@terrybell898]

I'm only a couple minutes into the replay, but I would think wild caught fish would be more accepting of changing pH levels. Considering in the wild pH levels are never exactly one way or another, they changed throughout the seasons. They change throughout the temperature and from one place to another . So I would think a wild caught fish would be somewhat more accepting of changing pH versus a fish that has been kept in an aquarium all its life. But at the same time the fish you get from your local fish store are going to be pretty well adapted to whatever water you have, because your water is going to be pretty much the same as the water at your local fish store.

[@BentleyPascoe]

Most are but there are some really niche cases. I think something like soda cichlids if they came directly from the wild or altum angels, where they come from much more extreme environments.

[@nabokovfan87]

Question.... I have one tank that has a HoB, no issues. I have another tank that has two large sponge filters. Both tanks have similar bioload, but if anything the tank with sponges has slightly more load, barely. Why is the tank with the sponges having cycle issues? Both start with a PH of around 6.8 that quickly drops to 6.5. KH is around 40 ppm, GH is usually 300+ ppm (recently GH had dropped to 50 ppm) I use alkaline buffer to get my KH and PH stable. I don't worry about GH and use things like hardscape for stability. My target is KH of 60-80 ppm. Very light adjustment.

[@brandongilhooly3545]

I have very similar water conditions and need to raise GH and KH from ~1 to ~4. My ph from the tap is ~ 6.5 and I do understand that will increase, and I do understand not to chase PH. I have a 60 G tank and keep Angels, Appistos, Corys. Crushed coral to me seems to be a bit more hand off than using acid and alkaline buffers. Can anybody give me some guidelines as to how much crushed coral to add to canister? I will do it slowly, but start with 1/4c ?? other ??

[@BentleyPascoe]

If you're putting it specifically into your canister filter then yes I would start with a small amount. Something like half a cup for your 60 gallon tank. Then after about a week, test your water again to see where your GH and KH levels are. If you haven't gotten enough yet, try adding like another quarter cup. Wait a week test again and just tinker from there until you get about where you want to be.

[@brandongilhooly3545]

@@BentleyPascoe Great thank you! Your channel is really helpful on so many levels.

[@joesmith9103]

One thing I wished you touched upon was Wondershell. What the heck are in these things? Am I correct in assuming Wondershells are a mix of Equilibrium and Prime, since they affect GH and are also advertised that they help with chlorine, yet seem to have little affect on KH?

[@BentleyPascoe]

Roughly put yes they are

[@SetterAquariums]

Hi Bentley, I have the same water as you in same climate in the state below. Do you add any minerals at all to your water? I was adding Plaster of Paris and Epsom salt plus have crushed oyster shell in the substrate in my tanks but none of my plants do well despite regular EI dosing, appropriate light and injected CO2. Should I just use my plain water as it is and only do the crushed oyster shell? It keeps the KH at 5 and the ph at 7.4.

[@SetterAquariums]

I'm trying to find a middle ground as my snails and shrimp did horrible in my plain unaltered tap water.

[@BentleyPascoe]

I add crushed coral

[@SetterAquariums]

@@BentleyPascoe I'll switch to just crushed shells then and quit with the plaste rod Paris and Epsom salt since your plants do so well in the same water 0kh, 0gh, 22TDS 6.4ph is what comes out of my tap.

[@BwizzleAquatics]

Re play crew buddy