Just checked my kH as I am going to set up some DIY CO2, and its only 2, grrr.

What exactly do I add to raise kH and how do I know how much to add or how often??

My other DIY CO2 question relates to reusing yeast. Never seen it mentioned here, so thought I'd ask. Been talking with my beer brewing mate (haha) and he believes it should be possible that instead of changing over an entire bottle each week (adding new yeast, water, sugar etc) It should be possible to empty most of it out, leaving a few cm of the previous concoction, and then top up with more sugar and water. And the yeast that had become inactivated will reactivate etc so the cycle can continue. Is there a reason this wouldn't work? I thought surely someone has thought of this before or theres a reason its not done...

Thanks for any help

Sodium bicarbonate

Cheers,

I started a thread in a busier forum and have a few replies. Also trawling through old threads there and trying to get my head around the kh-ph-co2 connections.

Some say kh doesnt matter, others say it does.... gets very confusing :roll:

And apparently I can use my old bottle sludge to start up new mixes

Also known as baking soda.

I think it matters. I all ways watched it when using co2

Good read: http://www.drhelm.com/aquarium/chemistry.html

Rather than using nasty chemicals in your tank (I hate using chemicals if I can at all help it) you can use crushed shells to increase the KH of your water.

Most LFS's should have some available, and it's much more natural.

Cheers

Wayne

Go with the baking soda, then you have control over your Kh. I'm not sure how adding SEA shells to a fresh water tank is more natural. With Baking soda you get just the chemical you need, with sea shell, you get the same chemical plus every thing else that went into making the shell, calcium, magnesium, phosphate etc etc.

Rather than using nasty chemicals in your tank (I hate using chemicals if I can at all help it) you can use crushed shells to increase the KH of your water.

Most LFS's should have some available, and it's much more natural.

Cheers

Wayne

There's nothing wrong with using some chemicals. You just need to learn which ones are good and which ones to avoid. Basic chemicals like Sodium Bicarbonate, Calcium and Magnesium Salts and many trace elements are exactly the same as the ones found in natural waterways. Adding them in the proper concentrations is often beneficial rather than bad. In fact, the fish need some of the trace elements and some of the metal salts in the water to live.

It's only the toxic and non-naturally found chemicals that you need to avoid and be wary of.