Please help: buffer (carbonate hardness) is 0!!!

I've just setup a new aquarium (29 gl, flourite and a few plants, 55W
CF). My water tests look a little wierd: the carbonate hardness is 0,
while total hardness is 120 with pH 6.8 or 7 (I can't decide which
color fits better). So, I assume, that the only hardness I have is
non-carbonate.

1. Does non-carbonate hardness contribute to buffereing against pH
fluctuations?

2. Is it even possible to have 0 alkalinity?

I am afraid to introduce fish until the water is fully conditioned.
I've checked the local stores for buffer increase - all chemicals
concentrate on adjusting pH, while I am quite happy wih mine: I would
like to keep tetras, danios, loaches, ottos (and/or) and live plants.

3. Can you recomend what exactly I should be looking for?

4. My chlorine measured .5 (no chloramine) Is it safe? Should I
dechlorinize?

5. All dechlorinizers that I see also try to take care of nitrates,
ammonia, etc. I would love to have a bio filter established and
control those by balance, not by cheistry. Should I use it anyway to
should I keep looking for something specific for chlorine (if it
exists)?

6. If I have so much non-carbonate hardness, it is probably sulfate or
phosphate. Should I control those? I am conserned that since I have
very few plants, it is going to promote algae growth (my tap water
initially comes with nitrates 20)

Please help! Thanks in advance,
Elly

Want to increase your hardness?
One teaspoon (about 6 grams) of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) per 50 liters of
water will increase KH by 4 degrees and will not increase general hardness.
Two teaspoons (about 4 grams) of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) per 50 liters of
water will increase both KH and GH by 4 degrees. Different proportions of
each can be used to get the correct KH/GH balance dictated by the fish and
plants in the tank. Since it is difficult to accurately measure small
quantities of dry chemicals at home, a test kit should be used to verify the
actual KH and GH that is achieved

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I've just setup a new aquarium (29 gl, flourite and a few plants, 55W
CF). My water tests look a little wierd: the carbonate hardness is 0,
while total hardness is 120 with pH 6.8 or 7 (I can't decide which
color fits better). So, I assume, that the only hardness I have is
non-carbonate.

1. Does non-carbonate hardness contribute to buffereing against pH
fluctuations?

2. Is it even possible to have 0 alkalinity?

I am afraid to introduce fish until the water is fully conditioned.
I've checked the local stores for buffer increase - all chemicals
concentrate on adjusting pH, while I am quite happy wih mine: I would
like to keep tetras, danios, loaches, ottos (and/or) and live plants.

3. Can you recomend what exactly I should be looking for?

4. My chlorine measured .5 (no chloramine) Is it safe? Should I
dechlorinize?

5. All dechlorinizers that I see also try to take care of nitrates,
ammonia, etc. I would love to have a bio filter established and
control those by balance, not by cheistry. Should I use it anyway to
should I keep looking for something specific for chlorine (if it
exists)?

6. If I have so much non-carbonate hardness, it is probably sulfate or
phosphate. Should I control those? I am conserned that since I have
very few plants, it is going to promote algae growth (my tap water
initially comes with nitrates 20)

Please help! Thanks in advance,
Elly

I think your a bit confused by your test kits and their meanings. The
jargon is here to help you. Your local area should have water quality
printed and sent to you annual to verify this.

Alkalinity is the same as kH as well as total carbonate hardness. It
is not possible with drinking tap water to have these true values vary
to any appreciable degree. That means concentration of carbonate
[HCO3-] is essentially all your alkalinity.

Hardness is the same as gH as well as total hardness. This is a
different value than alkalinity! It is express as amount of equivalent
CaCO3 found in water from determining Ca and Mg levels in natural
waters.

I like Seachem products from changing kH and gH since they are
inexpensive and use a reasonable blend of salts.

Not to get too confusing, but I add baking soda, keeps a real nice
buffer.... I inject CO2 which will in turn lower the pH. Starting at
7.0 without CO2, I end up dropping it to 6.4 or so, which is ok, but I
have fish that really don't care what pH it is, but adding CO2 with no
buffer, just asks for pH crashes... Keep things simple, as much as
possible... Get a gallon of tap water, declor(don't really have to)
and measure your pH and kH. Then go to Chuck Gadd, one of the generous
contributors, highly respected and one person I'd never hesitate to ask
a question, has a sight here...
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/articles.htm
that will help emmensely with your water questions...

But ok, after you measure it, record/document pH and kH, look at adding
maybe just a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and watch your pH and kH take
a jump, not HUGE, but it will... do the math and see how much will work
in your tank.

It's been awhile, but that's kinda the route that helped me...
and yes, YES, always use declor, just in case...