Crazy Water Chemistry
- Thread starter Vince G.
- Start date
Your KH of 0 is the biggest problem. I would consider buying a load of bottled springwater from the grocery store and doing a water change with that. It will have 0 nitrates which will be a big plus, will raise the PH GH and KH which will allow your bacteria to become more active.
My bacteria got very sluggish with a KH of close to 0 and only stabilised once it raised to 3*,(3 drops).
My bacteria got very sluggish with a KH of close to 0 and only stabilised once it raised to 3*,(3 drops).
Thanks Toosie, I have never cleaned the hoses, and I've had that filter running for 6 years. I'll make sure to get one of those snakes to clean them out. I scrubbed the top layer off of all of my driftwood about 2 years ago when I had an algae bloom of BBA...I used a rotary tool with sandpaper and took at least an inch off of each piece to get rid of the algae. How often do you suggest that I do it?
I'll definitely keep using the Prime to combat the Ammonia. If I do the springwater change, and my tank starts to cycle again (and the nitrates rise again because of it) will I have to keep using springwater, or will it eventually balance out? Also, Are tap nitrates at 20ppm unusual or excessive for tap water?
I'll definitely keep using the Prime to combat the Ammonia. If I do the springwater change, and my tank starts to cycle again (and the nitrates rise again because of it) will I have to keep using springwater, or will it eventually balance out? Also, Are tap nitrates at 20ppm unusual or excessive for tap water?
Yes that's kinda high for nitrates. Most tap water has 0 nitrates. Your tank may do a short mini cycle but what is actually happening is that the bacteria will finally get going full strength. It should drop your ammonia to 0 in a day. You may want to cut the springwater in half with tap water for the first change just to make the change a little slower. I would also buy a sample gallon and test it for PH GH and KH so you know where you are with that. Different brands will have different values for those tests.
It may be that you can find one that is really close to the parameters you are shooting for, or you may need to go with one gallon of spring water and one gallon of purified water. Purified water is just RO water with a few minerals added for taste and is my preferred water source but if you only use RO water you must add some buffers and trace elements since it has nothing at all in it. Hope this helps.
It may be that you can find one that is really close to the parameters you are shooting for, or you may need to go with one gallon of spring water and one gallon of purified water. Purified water is just RO water with a few minerals added for taste and is my preferred water source but if you only use RO water you must add some buffers and trace elements since it has nothing at all in it. Hope this helps.
Vince, just to clarify, what is the KH of your tap water? Is it 0? or just your tank? Plants will use KH for a source of carbon, especially if another source of carbon is not available to them, like Seachem Flourish Exel, or injected C02. Anyways, I'm just curious.
I scrub my driftwood a couple times a year, depending on the rate of decay. Let your finger nail be the judge. Drag it across the surface and see how much decay it collects. I just use an algae scrub pad and a pail of aquarium water to clean mine.
I scrub my driftwood a couple times a year, depending on the rate of decay. Let your finger nail be the judge. Drag it across the surface and see how much decay it collects. I just use an algae scrub pad and a pail of aquarium water to clean mine.
+1, Dr Awkward was right, old tank syndrome
:irked:from the picture, there is a lot of problems.
1.wood, biggest piece of mulm(organic).
2.wood, Good PH buffer, but some can do the opposite, bring the PH to small number.
3.plant, all the plants combine can't even handle the waste of that one big fish.
4.plant, wrong spot...
:irked:from the picture, there is a lot of problems.
1.wood, biggest piece of mulm(organic).
2.wood, Good PH buffer, but some can do the opposite, bring the PH to small number.
3.plant, all the plants combine can't even handle the waste of that one big fish.
4.plant, wrong spot...
After another WC last night (40 Gallons), the pH has risen to 6.8, and all of the other readings are the same: Ammonia .5, Nitrite 0, Nitrate bet 40-80. That ammonia and nitrate level is driving me crazy.
Toosie, thanks for the tip, I'll start cleaning the driftwood. The kH of my tapwater is 53.7ppm(this is the first time I've tested it). I'm thinking that that is pretty low, and is one reason that the kH in my tank is that low. I'll bet that a lot of fishkeepers in my area that use tapwater also use some kind of supplement (like limestone or crushed coral) to help out with that. I'll have to ask around. The springwater idea is sounding even better now.
Bettatail, can you elaborate a little for me? Are you saying that wood is bad in the aquarium, or that I just have too much of it, or that I just have to clean the wood more often to take off the decayed part of it?. I was thinking that I didn't have enough, and was planning to get more.
As far as the fish/plant thing, do you mean that I just need to get more plants to help handle the fish waste, or that I can't put enough plants in the tank to handle the wasteload?
I know that I need to upgrade my lighting (I have 2 30W Flora-Gro Bulbs now), but I put my plants at the front of the tank to take advantage of the natural filtered sunlight in that room. They seem to grow pretty well there. More than 2 or 3 inches back from the glass and it gets pretty dark. Where do you suggest that I put the plants?
Toosie, thanks for the tip, I'll start cleaning the driftwood. The kH of my tapwater is 53.7ppm(this is the first time I've tested it). I'm thinking that that is pretty low, and is one reason that the kH in my tank is that low. I'll bet that a lot of fishkeepers in my area that use tapwater also use some kind of supplement (like limestone or crushed coral) to help out with that. I'll have to ask around. The springwater idea is sounding even better now.
Bettatail, can you elaborate a little for me? Are you saying that wood is bad in the aquarium, or that I just have too much of it, or that I just have to clean the wood more often to take off the decayed part of it?. I was thinking that I didn't have enough, and was planning to get more.
As far as the fish/plant thing, do you mean that I just need to get more plants to help handle the fish waste, or that I can't put enough plants in the tank to handle the wasteload?
I know that I need to upgrade my lighting (I have 2 30W Flora-Gro Bulbs now), but I put my plants at the front of the tank to take advantage of the natural filtered sunlight in that room. They seem to grow pretty well there. More than 2 or 3 inches back from the glass and it gets pretty dark. Where do you suggest that I put the plants?
You are doing a great job. I also keep crushed coral in my filter (my tap water has a high pH and a low hardness) and it does a wonderful job of keeping the KH stable. It does take a few days/weeks before you see the full effect. I would not recommend using baking soda to do the same thing because it is a big PITA.
Your tank looks really good. I don't think you need to change a thing. As for the wood, it does release tannins that will soften your water but you can combat any problems from that by adjusting the amount of crushed coral in your filter. Once you get those nerites in there you shouldn't ever have to take sandpaper to the wood again!
It takes a long time for bacteria colonies to grow because they get such a low amount of energy for all the work they do. I think you will be back on track with a healthy tank by the end of the month.
As for plants, it's just a matter of personal taste. The plants compete with your beneficial bacteria for food. As long as your tank is reasonably stocked and your filter is running well your plant to bacteria ratio will always find a happy medium. If you do decide to put some plants in the back I'd recommend some larger anubias. They do great in low light conditions and do not require a special substrate so you'd get good growth without changing out the gravel.
Your tank looks really good. I don't think you need to change a thing. As for the wood, it does release tannins that will soften your water but you can combat any problems from that by adjusting the amount of crushed coral in your filter. Once you get those nerites in there you shouldn't ever have to take sandpaper to the wood again!
It takes a long time for bacteria colonies to grow because they get such a low amount of energy for all the work they do. I think you will be back on track with a healthy tank by the end of the month.
As for plants, it's just a matter of personal taste. The plants compete with your beneficial bacteria for food. As long as your tank is reasonably stocked and your filter is running well your plant to bacteria ratio will always find a happy medium. If you do decide to put some plants in the back I'd recommend some larger anubias. They do great in low light conditions and do not require a special substrate so you'd get good growth without changing out the gravel.
Thanks Dr. Awkward, It has finally started to balance out a little. My Ammonia and nitrates are still high, but I'll keep working on them. I just thought today that I need to test my tap water for Ammonia. I've tested it for everything else but that, but I'm wondering if that is contributing to my Ammonia situation. The crushed coral has been holding the pH 6.8 for two days, and with all of the water changes, the fish actually seem like they have a little more energy. My cories are darting to the surface every few seconds, and it's quite a distance (22 inches from top to bottom). I gave in and bought a juvenile albino bristlenose pleco yesterday and used the drip method (for the first time) to acclimate him. My semi-LFS sold me a drip line complete with valve attached. He is doing great. He started eating an algae wafer as soon as I put him in the tank, and he is active all day, which I'm not used to with plecos. I also bought two clumps of wisteria. I'm still on the lookout for more plants. With the low light plants that I have, do I need any kind of CO2 suppliment? I've been reading that CO2 lowers pH, and that's something I don't want to happen, since I just got it up a little!
As far as the wood, How long does it continue to release tannins? I've had all of that wood in the tank for at least 5 years. Does it ever stop, and for that matter, stop affecting the water quality, or will it continue as long as you have it in the tank?
I just read up on a plant that I didn't know about called African Bolbitus. It's supposed to be pretty easy to grow also. I think I'll look into that one also. Anyone have any experience with it?
As far as the wood, How long does it continue to release tannins? I've had all of that wood in the tank for at least 5 years. Does it ever stop, and for that matter, stop affecting the water quality, or will it continue as long as you have it in the tank?
I just read up on a plant that I didn't know about called African Bolbitus. It's supposed to be pretty easy to grow also. I think I'll look into that one also. Anyone have any experience with it?
Well, everything seems to be going as predicted. Are you guys psychics or something?
I've been unable to perform any maintenance on the tank for 3 days while I was working, but I was finally able to test it and do a 40Gal WC tonight. The latest test results:
pH-6.8
Nitrite-.25
Nitrate-between 40-80ppm
Ammonia-.5
As predicted, it seem like a mini-cycle (I hope) has started in the tank since the pH has risen to leves that are benefitial to the bacteria, indicated by the small nitrate spike. I assume that all I can do is continue water changes until the nitrites go down, indicating that some sort of bacterial balance is happening. Is there anything else that I should do besides that and adding Prime each night?
Besides the chemistry stuff, the tank is doing fine. My new albino bristlenose has acclimated well, and I found 2 onion plants at my LFS. I'm still waiting to get some nerite snails, but I'm hoping to pick them up this week. Any other suggestions?
Ahhhh....The Plot thickens. I just finally tested my tap water for ammonia, and it is coming in at almost 1.0ppm! I was wondering how I could change the complete volume of my tank 3 or four times over the last 10 days and the ammonia never change! That's New Jersey for you! I'm definitely getting some spring water tomorrow to see if that tests better. Another FS in my area also sells RO water, and that may be another option.
I've been unable to perform any maintenance on the tank for 3 days while I was working, but I was finally able to test it and do a 40Gal WC tonight. The latest test results:
pH-6.8
Nitrite-.25
Nitrate-between 40-80ppm
Ammonia-.5
As predicted, it seem like a mini-cycle (I hope) has started in the tank since the pH has risen to leves that are benefitial to the bacteria, indicated by the small nitrate spike. I assume that all I can do is continue water changes until the nitrites go down, indicating that some sort of bacterial balance is happening. Is there anything else that I should do besides that and adding Prime each night?
Besides the chemistry stuff, the tank is doing fine. My new albino bristlenose has acclimated well, and I found 2 onion plants at my LFS. I'm still waiting to get some nerite snails, but I'm hoping to pick them up this week. Any other suggestions?
Ahhhh....The Plot thickens. I just finally tested my tap water for ammonia, and it is coming in at almost 1.0ppm! I was wondering how I could change the complete volume of my tank 3 or four times over the last 10 days and the ammonia never change! That's New Jersey for you! I'm definitely getting some spring water tomorrow to see if that tests better. Another FS in my area also sells RO water, and that may be another option.
