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I totally agree with that. High-tech planted tanks typically use cheap common hardy fish that can do okay swimming in fertilizer solution with elevated CO2. Folks on this forum keeping soft-water dwarf cichlids, blackwater gouramis and tetras, etc need to focus more on the fish's water quality needs and keep plants that tolerate low mineral content, low nutrients, and low light.
Hardness (GH) is a measure of divalent (+2 charge) cations, mainly calcium and magnesium. It has nothing to do with pH or buffering.
Alkalinity (KH) is a measure of acid-buffering capacity, mainly bicarbonate (HCO3-) and carbonate (CO3=). Alaklinity does not affect hardness (and I sure wish people would stop using the term "carbonate hardness") !!! In natural water, limestone is the most common source of both GH and KH, so they're often present in roughly similar quantities. And if you heat water, some of the GH and KH will precipitate out of solution as CaCO3 and MgCO3, thus the term "temporary hardness" - that's relevant to industrial boilers but has little relevance to fish keeping. If your buffer additive is raising GH, then it probably contains some Ca or Mg. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) will only raise KH and does not affect GH. Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) will only raise GH and does not affect KH.
My plants actually have a nitrate deficiency, and I need to dose it, but alas I haven't bought it yet because to me my fishes health is more important than my plants having the perfect color. My logic has been the plants are doing well without dosing nitrate although not pristine. I like my plants but I believe my fish would be happier in such low nitrate levels so I choose not to dose. What is your opinion on this darrel?
Hardness (GH) is a measure of divalent (+2 charge) cations, mainly calcium and magnesium. It has nothing to do with pH or buffering.
Alkalinity (KH) is a measure of acid-buffering capacity, mainly bicarbonate (HCO3-) and carbonate (CO3=). Alaklinity does not affect hardness (and I sure wish people would stop using the term "carbonate hardness") !!! In natural water, limestone is the most common source of both GH and KH, so they're often present in roughly similar quantities. And if you heat water, some of the GH and KH will precipitate out of solution as CaCO3 and MgCO3, thus the term "temporary hardness" - that's relevant to industrial boilers but has little relevance to fish keeping. If your buffer additive is raising GH, then it probably contains some Ca or Mg. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) will only raise KH and does not affect GH. Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) will only raise GH and does not affect KH.
I thought gh not only calculates things that raise ph but also things that lower such as salts. I thought kh is the one that matters and what decides if water is soft or hard. I use ro water and the only reason I have a 5 is because I add a ph 6.5 buffer. Nothing else is added and before hand they are both below 1