Ok you mentioned HOB filters. Now maybe someone can correct me but if you went with a canister filter cant you add a buffer to one of the layers to help LOWER your pH?
Super high PH caused by 3D background need help!
- Thread starter LMBDave
- Start date
South americans.
Geophagus proximus, firemouths and severums. (All babies at the moment.) I have a breading pair of geophagus brasiliensis as well, but will most likely not put them in this tank because they are fully grown and quite large.
Unfortunately the way i made background, it only allows for HOB filters...if i ever make another 3d background, i will definitely leave room for other types of filters and hardware.
I would really discourage putting any buffers or softeners, or correct ph type products, as these are only temporary fixes and can cause ph fluctuations. Your fish will adapt to your ph, what you want to achieve is a "Steady PH" as long as you have that those fish will be happy. What is the ph/gh of your tap water (I'm betting it is already high, and hard). To test leave some tap water in a dish overnight and test in the morning this will give you a "True PH" I'm just saying you may be beating your head against the wall for nothing if you already have hard high ph water. Not saying the background won't raise it some, but your readings should have stabalized by now. When I installed that same type background on my 60 it initially raised the ph from 7.6 (tap) to 8.4, but then after 3 or so days leveled off at 8.0.
AWESOME LOOKING SETUP BTW!!! Very nice
AWESOME LOOKING SETUP BTW!!! Very nice
my tap water is right around 7.0-7.2
Here's another question. When i first started the project, i transfered the fish from the 55gal to a 20gal temporary tank, i filled the 20gal with the water straight from the 55gal and also placed an HOB filter on the 20gal straight from the 55gal. Now this is kind of odd to me, because i just tested that water in the 20gal and the ph level is right around 6.0...so if the water straight from the tap is around 7.0-7.2 and i didnt add anything to the water in the tank to soften it, then why is the ph level so low in comparison? i guess i just dont understand how the ph level would drop on its own.
also, in light of this, it makes me even more nervous to transfer the fish into the 55gal where the ph levels are going to be much higher...wont this shock the fish?
Also for anybody wondering, i have tried putting fish in the 55gal with the background after i thought i had done a sufficient amount of water changes and it was time to start cycling the tank...i tried a few comets...they all died within 2 days...and i tried a couple guppies...they all died within 3 days...i think today ill try a few more guppies, just because its been about a week since i tried fish. wish me luck. im really hoping there isnt something else going on here other than high ph.
Here's another question. When i first started the project, i transfered the fish from the 55gal to a 20gal temporary tank, i filled the 20gal with the water straight from the 55gal and also placed an HOB filter on the 20gal straight from the 55gal. Now this is kind of odd to me, because i just tested that water in the 20gal and the ph level is right around 6.0...so if the water straight from the tap is around 7.0-7.2 and i didnt add anything to the water in the tank to soften it, then why is the ph level so low in comparison? i guess i just dont understand how the ph level would drop on its own.
also, in light of this, it makes me even more nervous to transfer the fish into the 55gal where the ph levels are going to be much higher...wont this shock the fish?
Also for anybody wondering, i have tried putting fish in the 55gal with the background after i thought i had done a sufficient amount of water changes and it was time to start cycling the tank...i tried a few comets...they all died within 2 days...and i tried a couple guppies...they all died within 3 days...i think today ill try a few more guppies, just because its been about a week since i tried fish. wish me luck. im really hoping there isnt something else going on here other than high ph.
tanker
Josh Holloway--Be mine!!!
1) PH in the 9s will kill the fish.
2) You PH in the 20gal is low because all the fish are crowded and CO2 and waste from fish will lower PH.
3) I would try adding something like vinager or something to lower the PH in the tank and "Leach" out all the high PH stuff. Then do a masssive water change, and retest.
2) You PH in the 20gal is low because all the fish are crowded and CO2 and waste from fish will lower PH.
3) I would try adding something like vinager or something to lower the PH in the tank and "Leach" out all the high PH stuff. Then do a masssive water change, and retest.
My thoughts exactly...comets and guppies shouldn't die because of high pH alone. What are the materials you used, exactly? Are you sure they were all fish safe?
From reading the post it was taken from, the addition of water softener salt is for the rinsing process, Chris - not permanently. The DIY articles on Cichlid Forum suggest using salt to help the curing process.
It just sounds to me like you have a lot more rinsing left to go. These steps are *after* curing the concrete for 3 days:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_aquarium_background.php
Start filling the tank with luke warm water. I slowly added about 20 pounds of salt while the tank filled with water. Adding salt will speed the curing process! If you have any, throw in your driftwood as well. The salt will help leach out some of the tannins in the wood. After the tank was filled with salt water, I added two powerheads to the front of the glass to circulate the water. Soak and circulate for at least three days.
Step 6: Flushing with fresh water
OK, 3 days have gone by and the concrete should be very hard as a rock. But, we aren't done yet. We need to drain the salt water and flush it with fresh water. I emptied the tank and refilled it with fresh water and circulated with the powerheads for another 3 days. After the three days, I repeated the process two more times, three days each time.
Have you rinsed this many times? I think the more you rinse, the better your results will be...and maybe try salt for curing more rapidly.
Ok so that answers one of my previous questions, having fish in the tank will lower the ph.
Also, if i add vinegar to the tank, what will it do exactly? what do u mean "leach" out? like suck everything out of the background and substrate thats causing the the ph to be so high? and how much do u recommend i add?
thanks for the info, im starting to feel less hopeless about this problem now.
Ive rinsed 6 or 7 times now. Im going to continue with the rinsing. i may start trying 50% water changes every 2 days.
The materials i used were, quikrete commercial grade mortar mix, 100% silicone, and standard white styrofoam.
tanker
Josh Holloway--Be mine!!!
The vinegar will help if the problem really is the 3-D part. If there is something causing the high PH, it will act like a buffer to "Cure" it. It is only white vinegar and you will not be keeping it, so just dump in a small bottle (not aplle-vinegar, ect). Wait a few days then do 100% water change.
