pH and KH question
Hi! I've been doing a deep dive into water chemistry for neocaridinas, and I seem to be having a pH and KH issue.
Right now i have about 14 Blue Diamond Shrimp.
The recommended parameters are:
pH: 6.8-7.8
GH: 6-14
KH: 2-8
Temp: 65-78F
My tanks parameters are:
2.6 Gallons
pH: 6.7
GH: 8
(1 drop of KH solution changed the color so somewhere between 0 and 1?)
Temp: 71.4F
(No CO2 system)
I'm also using Fluval Stratum which i realize is meant to lower pH and apparently lowers KH as well.
My tap water's parameters are:
pH: (test ranges from 6-7.6 and the tube is very blue so it might be higher than 7.6)
GH: 9
KH: 7
Cory from aquarium co-op recommends gravel to avoid pH swings, and I'm tempted to take out the water and shrimp, swap the substrate for something like Seachem Black Flourite? (Any advice on that would be much appreciated as ive only ever used Stratum or Amazonia in my tanks)
I've also heard that you can increase the KH using small amounts of Baking Soda, or special products, but this would raise the pH, and probably the most common piece of advice on shrimp keeping I hear over and over is: Don't chase numbers, chase stability.
So I guess all I want to know is should I be focused on raising the KH no matter what, maybe using something like baking soda to very very slowly raise the kh and the pH, and should I swap out that substrate? This tank doesn't have CO2 like my other tanks and different plants I've tried growing just really struggle without CO2.
I hope this was coherent. My last shrimp did reproduce (making cute grey babies) but then the colony just deteriorated until there were only 2 shrimp left. I just wanna be responsible and give these guys the best chance possible.