Water Hardness

The hardness level of water has to do with the amount of minerals that are dissolved in the water. Calcium and magnesium are the primary minerals that are dissolved in tap water. "Soft" water has relatively few dissolved minerals whereas "hard" water has many dissolved minerals. Water hardness is not really an issue unless your water is excessively soft. Then you may have problems with runaway pH levels. For saltwater aquariums this is especially true. The carbonate hardness of saltwater can give you a good indication of how stable your pH is.

Water pH too low, insufficent carbonate hardness or general hardness? The best recommendation is to follow the links below on effective and safe products from Hydra International.

Hydra pH Up (immediate fix)
Hydra pH Buffer (long term buffering)