pH crash?

skeletonhand

skeletonhand

Landscaper Extraordinaire
Sep 9, 2006
307
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Lincoln, NE
Here is the EPA report for my drinking water.
pH (in pH units) 7.59
Total Alkalinity (CaCO3) 1 44 ppm
Total Hardness (CaCO3) (10 grains per gallon) 160 ppm
Total Dissolved Solids 2 64 ppm
Calcium 47.1 ppm
Chloride 14 ppm
Iron <0.05 ppm
Manganese 1.05 ppb
Sodium 23.9 ppm
Sulfate 39 ppm

I'm planning on using the yeast DIY method for the plants in my aquarium. Do I need to worry about a pH crash or not? I know it has something to do with the hardness of the water but I don't know how to decifer the numbers.

Thanks

SKEL
 
Have a read of this thread.

To summarize, old school says yes, new school says no.

I'm with the new school and I say your tap water looks great and not to touch it! :)
 
Thanks Orgo! I reviewed that thread you sent me and downloaded Chuck's Calculator
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_aquacalc.htm
I punched in the numbers and it said that 160 ppm = KH of 9. Sound right? If so, that would be plenty of buffer, wouldn't it?

SKEL
 
Sweet. I'll add C02 and bump up my ferts and watch it GROW!!!

Thanks for all the help!!
 
Orgo is right. Do nothing, just get your CO2 pumping enough to get your CO2 ppm to about 30. That would mean you want to maintain your pH right around 6.7-6.8. Make sure you are heavily planted, have a good fert schedule in order <micros and macros> and good watermovement.

if you have any questions regarding ferts and how to do it while avoiding having to deal with test kits, check out my buddy's site www.barrreport.com and read the section on Estimative Index under ferts. enjoy~
 
Right now I have 5 clumps of moneywart? (taller stuff in the back), 2 small green wendetii, some anachris (flourish exel is doing a number on it), 1 mondo grass, and a small patch of microsword(?). Should I start off with 1, 2 or more 2L bottles?

here's some pics. Thanks

SKEL

DSC01140.JPG DSC01142.JPG DSC01143.JPG
 
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What's your lighting like (wattage/type)? Size of tank? Type of filtration?
You have a very light plant mass and not the best substrate for a planted tank, IMO.
I would work at increasing it through propagation and/or purchasing more plants for the tank.
I would withhold further suggestions regarding CO2 pending the answers to the first three questions.

Len
 
I have a 55g with 2 65 watt fixtures in the 6700K spectrum. My filter is a Top Fin 60 hang on filter. I wasn't planing on having a planted aquarium when I bought my gravel, but the plants that I have in there now have rooted in quite nicely since I mixed in some finer sized gravel. I've been pinching the tops off of the moneywart and rooting them out. Growth is slow so propogation is minimal. Good questions.

Thanx
SKEL
 
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