# Getting Van tap water to the best GH



## Fish n Chips (Mar 30, 2011)

Hi all, since I don't have any test kits, I was hoping one of you Vancouverites could let me know what the tap water is like here (basically rain water I'm thinking?), and how much GH booster/Seachem equalibrium/etc. I should be adding to keep my plants happy. I'm using ADA soil for the first time and am not really sure what that does to the GH either, so any info on that would also be much appreciated! I have a feeling I'm under dosing based on the shape the new sword leaves are popping out in...


----------



## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

We have a sticky referring to this problem. Best if you get test kits of course guessing on water parameters is not a good idea and will cost you a lot more in the long run.


----------



## neven (May 15, 2010)

Well it is best to have a test, but in the least try something like this:

fill bucket to roughly 3G
dechlorinate
add 1/4 tsp Equillibrium, 1/8 tsp baking soda
mix well/aerate

for livebearer tanks you can double dose to make them more comfortable without harming your plants.

remember this is only for water added to the tank during a water change, not to top up from evapouration.

This works for me, but its not a system that has to be followed, 

If you have a 5 G bucket, just fill it to the same spot every time add 1/2 tsp equillibrium and still 1/8th tsp of baking soda, its more close to the recommended dosage this way. I change out 50% water per week.


----------



## Fish n Chips (Mar 30, 2011)

Rastapus said:


> We have a sticky referring to this problem. Best if you get test kits of course guessing on water parameters is not a good idea and will cost you a lot more in the long run.


I read the sticky, thanks. I did enough titrating to last a lifetime in university, who knows, maybe I'll buy a test kit one day 
Not sure I agree on all the attention to KH though. Plants suffer like crazy with too low a GH, but even plants like vals will happily get their carbon from dissolved CO2 if the KH hits zero.



neven said:


> Well it is best to have a test, but in the least try something like this:
> 
> fill bucket to roughly 3G
> dechlorinate
> ...


Thanks for the help. I'll bump up the GH booster I add at water changes and see how it goes. Baking soda is a really bad idea though. Plants need very little sodium, and most freshwater plants suffer at quite low levels of sodium.


----------



## neven (May 15, 2010)

While sodium is indeed bad for many plqnts. Iv never had issues with baking soda dosed this low. If i were buffering to a much higher kh i would not buffer with baking soda. With many market alkalinity boosters youll find the product is a mix with sodium bicarbonate (or carbonate) as the primary ingredient.

As for my experience with freshwater plants, over 5 years keeping planted tanks

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I896 using t Green Tapatalk 2


----------

