Problems with my tank water's pH, KH, and GH?

Question

I have two betta fish, each living in a 2.5 gal tank. Each has a heater set at 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and no filter. I change the water and clean the tanks once a week. I bought these fish while I was living in the dorm. The tap water in the dorm had the perfect water parameters for my fish. However, I am now back at home, and I'm dealing with completely different water, which I'm having issues with. This is what I add to my water every time it's changed: Amquel+, NovAqua+, Proper pH 7.0, a small amount of aquarium salt (for disease prevention), and Melafix (for one of the fish, who has a tail biting habit, and is in the process of growing his tail back). And here are my current water parameters: Nitrate: 0 ppm, Nitrite: 0 ppm, GH: 0 ppm (too low! 75 ppm would be better), KH: 300 ppm (too high!), pH: 8.4 (also too high, due to the KH. I would prefer 7.0). So...how would I go about fixing this? Apparently the Proper pH 7.0 isn't working. So I need something else.

Answer 1

Man where do you live? The sad thing is there are lots of Cichlid owners who would love your water. I have to say you are under estimating a betta's ability to survive in a wide range of water conditions. The range for betta is 6-8 pH, and 0-25 KH (1 KH in dH ~=17.8 ppm). So your water is a bit basic for your betta. As far as GH you can just ignore it for betta.

The key thing to realize is something like proper pH is useless. Your high KH buffers against pH changes. You'd end up poisoning your betta before you got it to a pH of 7. What you need is distilled water. Mix about 7/8 tap, and 1/8 distilled water. This will drop you near a pH of 8, as well as drop the KH. Then gradually move to around 7.4-7.8 pH. (The good for betta number depends on who you talk to.) BEWARE rapid change is bad. Even if you are changing in a good direction. Once you settle on a mix of tap to distilled stay with it.

PS- Distilled water alone is unhealthy.

PPS-Honestly your betta likely will be fine in you tap water as is. In the future be sure to gradually change from your dorm water to your home's water.

PPPS- Crank up the temp bettas like it hotter than most fish. I try to keep my elderly bettas in the low 80s. The "good range" is quoted as 75-85, but mine have gone in the high 80s during ich outbreaks. (Past 86 ich tends to not do well.)

Answer 2

What makes you think those parameters are bad for fish??

Don't worry about Ph KH and GH. As long as they are stable, fish will be fine. Using chemicals to change them only causes stress for the fish, because you are going to be chasing those numbers all over the place no matter what you do. Fish much prefer stable parameters. Even Discus can be kept in somewhat hard water, as long as it is stabe and you don't use chemicals to try and change things.

Just leave it alone and your fish will be great.

Also, why are you using aquarium salt? There is a reason they call bettas freshwater fish. Only use salt when your fish get external parasites. Yes it will prevent disease, but it also burns your fish's gills and skin. Salt also will alter Ph, GH and KH.

Answer 3

There's an easy fix to this. Stop adding the chemicals and just let the water age naturally. Give it at least 72 hours to breathe and you'll find that the ph and KH will come down on it's own.

The others are right though, Betta fish are not picky about their water conditions. In the wild they have evolved to survive in stagnant ponds, rice paddies, and other shallow and muddy bodies of water.

Answer 4

You're really trying, which is good, but lose the chemicals. Betta's are hardy fish, and they'll adjust to their new water parameters, no problem if you ease up on the chemicals. Just use the dechlorinator at water changes, and you'll be fine!