Water Parameters

What is "General Hardness" and how does it matter in the planted aquarium?

What is KH and why does it matter far more than pH? What is the relationship between pH and kH?

Tap water quality can vary tremendously from area to area. One easy way to plan ahead for your tanks need without spending money on test kits is to read the local tap water report on what is in our water. This guide covers how to interpret the numbers in a local water report and which parameters to pay attention to.

Is it important to maintain a certain pH? Do fluctuations in pH due to CO2 injection matter? What pH works for fish and livestock?

Tanks using aquasoil in softwater countries naturally have very low pH values. This usually sparks some concern among the aquarist crowd which worry that such a low pH will affect livestock or bacteria health in the tank...

What to look out for when transferring shrimp and fish across tanks with varying water parameters...

What parameters do I check to see if I can grow softwater plants. How do I get softwater ?

What exactly is hardwater or softwater? How do I know if my tank has hardwater or softwater. How do I raise GH without raising KH or vice versa?

What is TDS and does it matter? How does a high or low reading impact livestock and/or plant health?