Managing water parameters

Most crucial is the quality of the water utilized in the tank. Plants and animals would struggle to survive in poor water quality, just as we cannot survive breathing in poisonous air. Although the terminology used to describe water parameters can be complex, keeping a healthy aquascape in a planted tank requires knowing what constitutes "good water." This is my straightforward explanation of what all of the jargon truly means.

Aquarists primarily keep an eye on four parameters: pH, GH, KH, and TDS. Each of these is extremely significant!

A pH of 6.5 to 7.5 indicates how acidic the water is; most fish and plants may survive in water with a pH between these ranges. pH measurement provides the hydrogen ions (H+) in a specific volume of water.

The KH indicates how well a dissolved buffering element (carbonate) will prevent pH fluctuations in the water. In an easy way it means to say that the process involves the negatively charged carbonate bind to the positively charged hydrogen ions (H+).

At normal levels, a high KH has no direct influence on fish health; nevertheless, high KH levels can boost pH levels, which some shrimp and plants appreciate. When CO2 is periodically injected into the water, it tends to temporarily make the water more acidic. When the CO2 is turned off during dark period, the pH can swing wildly up to a higher level, stressing out the inhabitants of the tank. These pH swings are primarily an issue if there is a low KH. If there aren't any swings in the pH, a KH value of less than 4 dKH means that it has to be monitored.

GH, or dissolved magnesium and calcium ions, is what is typically meant when the terms "soft" or "hard" water are used. Plants and the majority of tropical fish and shrimp thrive best in a range of 4–8 dGH or "degree hardness". Anecdotally, some filamentous algae varieties tend to grow more quickly than usual if KH and GH go too high.

KH should be lower than GH or vice-versa.

The last indicator is TDS (Total dissolved solutes) . Higher the value of TDS, lower is the quality of regular supply water.

The ideal pH range for most aquarium plants is between 6.5 and 7.8, general hardness should be between 50 and 100 ppm, and alkalinity should be between 3 and 8 dKH (54 to 140 ppm). It is best to keep phosphates and nitrates below 0.5 ppm and 10 ppm, respectively, to avoid unwanted algae forming on leaves.

It's critical that water should be pure and devoid of impurities like chlorine. Every now and then, people come across a situation where shrimp and fish always appear stressed out or even die when the water changes. This is usually the result of tap water that has not been properly prepared for use in an aquarium. Not all potentially harmful contaminants can be eliminated by just putting the water in a bucket overnight. The most common ones are dissolved heavy metals and chloramine, which municipal water departments are using more and more of. If tap water is used, it’s essential to use some sort of conditioning product.

In addition to these potentially dangerous ingredients, tap water frequently contains additional ingredients that might create unfavorable growing and livestock environments. Diatomaceous algae can thrive in the presence of dissolved silicates, whereas dissolved phosphates—which are frequently found in large quantities in tap water—can promote the growth of algae more broadly. Again, shrimp can be seriously harmed by trace elements like copper. The amount of dissolved cations in tap water can make it harder. Unfortunately, not all of these contaminants can be removed by water priming products which is another reason to use RO water if necessary.

Since living cells contain a higher amount of dissolved substances than pure water. A gradient can form where pure water tries to equalize osmolarity with the water in the cells, potentially causing the cells to burst and swell. If you do use RO water, as I do, be sure to remineralize it. I use GH Recharge and KH Boost to remineralize RO water.

Lastly, your water will not remain "perfect" in the tank for very long. All of the dissolved cations and wastes are left behind when water molecules evaporate in an open-topped tank; if additional tap water is placed on top of this, the concentration of these dissolved components will progressively rise, which will be detrimental to the health of your fish and plants—albeit very slowly. Even worse, the water will become clogged with organic waste from the decomposition of plant matter and animal feces. For this reason, it's best to perform substantial, regular water changes and to "top off" any evaporated water with RO water before doing so.