buffering

[moonbaby]

This is a clip I found :

It's that pink gravel you're using. It has no buffering properties and your pH dropped to 5.6 last week (which you didn't notice because you don't use that pH test kit you bought at the auction last year). Consequently, the bacteria in your undergravel filter were unable to survive and the ammonia level went through the roof. The bacteria weren't doing that well in the first place because the pink gravel is made of quartz and doesn't supply enough calcium to facilitate growth of Nitrosomas or Nitrobacter.

WHAT are they talking about? I know what ph is but what is the rest?

 

[carpguy]

Buffering is the water's ability to neutralize acid. This is normally meassured as KH or Carbonate Hardness. This is in the water, not in the substrate. Replenishing the buffer is one of the many reasons for regular water changes. Some folks with unusually low KH use particular substrates that supplement KH but there are other ways around it and its not an issue for most folks.

Once the water becomes very acidic (and 5.6 is very acidic) the nitrogen eating bacteria don't do real well. But Ammonia is almost entirely ammonium (non-toxic) at that pH.

Nitrosomas and Nitrobacter are two bacteria that were believed to be the main nitrogen-eaters. I think that that was then called into question by Marineland, who identified some other bacteria as being the responsible party or at least also responsible. Since I don't know which particular bacteria are doing what, I usually just call them the Nitrogen-eaters.

Sort of an uneven clip. Without more context I'd tend to not entirely trust the advice.

 

[moonbaby]

Thanx I appreciate your help. The rest of the clip was just asking how a fish died. Its from the phsycic fish . com or something. I was just wondering what they were talking about. Also, I have a ten gallon tank .Is a 25% water change once a week ok? I only have a placostomus and 4 baby guppies(at this time). I only plan on having one placostomus and a bunch of guppies ( as many as im supposed to without over populating) but thats all. What is the right diet for guppies?

 

[Raskolnikov]

All of the answers in the psychic fish article are jokes.
As long as your water change schedule keeps nitrates under 40ppm you should be fine.
A common pleco is much too large to house in a 10g tank for very long.

 

[RTR]

Personally, I'd keep the nitrate at or below half the figure quoted, but i am neurotic about water quanity - 20 ppm is as high as I go, and the tanks nomally run much lower.

KH controls the pH. You can monitor that as well - the test kit is easy and cheap. KH from the tap of 4 degrees or more is normally fine. Below that you do need to watch that or the pH and perhaps increase water changes to compensate. Normal nitrification uses up KH.

Marineland did not find out about the real FW nitrification bacteria, they hired the guy who was one of the folks who found it out in parallel with his thesis work.

 

[carpguy]

Marineland did not find out about the real FW nitrification bacteria, they hired the guy who was one of the folks who found it out in parallel with his thesis work.

So what was the end of that particular story?

Are Nitros bacter and somas not the responsible parties?

Also the responsible parties, in addition to some other responsible parties?

Hmmm…

Why don't I just google it myself?

Nitrification is the oxidation of ammonia to nitrite by autotrophic bacteria of the genus Nitrosomonas and oxidation of the nitrite to nitrate by bacteria in the genus Nitrobacter or Nitrospira.…

While bacteria from the genus Nitrobacter are nitrite-oxidizing organisms and could theoretically fill the nitrite-oxidizing niche, the tests indicated relatively high numbers of Nitrospira and no Nitrobacter bacteria at all. Thus, Nitrospira is now considered the dominate nitrite-oxidizing bacterium in aquariums

Learn something new everyday…


That's them there!!…

 

[moonbaby]

My nitrates and nitrites are always at zero. The problem is: i have an ammonia detecter that tells me when the ammonia is getting to high, so i basically do water changes according to it. In the whole time ive had the tank Ive never had the nitrites and nitrates go anywhere but zero. does that mean i dont have the right bacteria that changes it into nitrites and nitrates, or am I changing the water to much? the official name of the product is Ammonia Alert . Ive basically just been going off of that just to be safe.

 

[carpguy]

You should wind up with Nitrates as the end product.

They're probably not zero coming out of your tap, so 0 Nitrates is probably not the case. What sort of test kit do you have?

Even with water changes the normal cycle will establish itself. How long have you been doing this?

Do you use a dechlorinator?

Ammonia and Nitrites should always be zero in an established tank and Nitrates are inevitable.

 

[RTR]

Actually, for many years my tap was zero nitrate by the low range La Motte kit (geologically old water, deep aquifer). But my tanks certainly were not. It did make my life easier when I was being anal about keeping nitrates at or below 10ppm.

 

[moonbaby]

Im using RO water so i dont use a declorinater and i use jungle 5 in 1 test strips. Ive been doing this for four mon. (actually 6 but I got new tank syndrome and started all over) Thanks! please reply!