Substrate ... yet a different approach

[wespastor]

I do keep a journal of this aquarium with a record of the water perameters and dates and such from the date it was first set up and notes about events.

I am noticing some trends.

That the pH is slowly raising;
That the GH and KH are raising as well

That the other water perameters are 0 ppm ites, aites and ammo.


I am begining to have a regular aglae bloom. It coats the glass and the outlet for the HOB filter from week to week cleanings. the fish seem happy and act normal and it does it normal fishy thing. The MTS seem to do their normal routine churning the sandbed and are breeding OK. But ... I need to get the driftwood root completed so that I can get more plant in there to help control that algae a little. But it's managable my biggest concern is the shift in pH, GH & KH from 4/10/2010 to 5/21/2010

Here are the numbers:
pH: (4/10) -- 7.0 (5/21) -- 8.0
GH: (4/10) -- 107.4 (5/21) 232.7 ppm (Interpolated)
KH: (4/10) -- 35.8 ppm (5/21) 161.1 ppm

This can be good or normal: Any Ideas?

Thanks for looking.

Best wishes,
Wes

 

[wespastor]

The above can't be good ... Seems I waited too long to notice the typo

Thanks for lookin'

Best wishes,
Wes

 

[SubRosa]

i would have to advise against putting soil you find outside in your tank. there probably are numerous heavy metals, pesticides, and other chemicals in the soil around your house, especially in a creek that catches runoff water from the surrounding area.

As opposed to the commercially produced products which have no exposure whatsoever to the environment they were harvested from.

 

[SubRosa]

I do keep a journal of this aquarium with a record of the water perameters and dates and such from the date it was first set up and notes about events.

I am noticing some trends.

That the pH is slowly raising;
That the GH and KH are raising as well

That the other water perameters are 0 ppm ites, aites and ammo.


I am begining to have a regular aglae bloom. It coats the glass and the outlet for the HOB filter from week to week cleanings. the fish seem happy and act normal and it does it normal fishy thing. The MTS seem to do their normal routine churning the sandbed and are breeding OK. But ... I need to get the driftwood root completed so that I can get more plant in there to help control that algae a little. But it's managable my biggest concern is the shift in pH, GH & KH from 4/10/2010 to 5/21/2010

Here are the numbers:
pH: (4/10) -- 7.0 (5/21) -- 8.0
GH: (4/10) -- 107.4 (5/21) 232.7 ppm (Interpolated)
KH: (4/10) -- 35.8 ppm (5/21) 161.1 ppm

This can be good or normal: Any Ideas?

Thanks for looking.

Best wishes,
Wes

Are you using tap water to top off for evap? This will cause a constant buildup of mineral salts in the water which could account for you change in parameters. A very large water change will reverse it somewhat and topping off with RO, DI, or distilled water will keep it from happening again. Additionally a dsb creates areas of low pH in the substrate which can allow for the dissolution of minerals which would normally remain insoluble at a higher pH. If this is occurring then only increased water changes will maintain your current parameters.

 

[wespastor]

Are you using tap water to top off for evap? This will cause a constant buildup of mineral salts in the water which could account for you change in parameters. A very large water change will reverse it somewhat and topping off with RO, DI, or distilled water will keep it from happening again. Additionally a dsb creates areas of low pH in the substrate which can allow for the dissolution of minerals which would normally remain insoluble at a higher pH. If this is occurring then only increased water changes will maintain your current parameters.

KH;GH Issuses Thats what I thought, just loking for a second oppinion on the matter.
But the pH seems to be raising over time even with the DSB so go figure.

Maybe Hoppy or DeeDeeK will chimin here soon.

Thanks for the help and for lookin.

Best wishes,
Wes

 

[wespastor]

On May 30 I added 5 Glowlight Tetras (Hemigrammus erythrozonus) and black worms. 1 Guppies (Poecilia reticulata) was in there already.

After about 4 hours of observation, the guppy was acting like a pit-bull -- very territorial. I never new guppies could be so aggressive. He was actually fin flaring like a betta and fin nipping the Glow lights. So I had to remove the Guppy.

Then, after another two days the Glowlights have settled in and were happy in the new home acting like fish act.

Their color come in real bright almost neon.

Of course they were eating the black worms as well as the other foods I have been feeding them. I don't feed them every day, more like every other day or so and I feed them a variety of things.

Now for a new observation of the Glowlights --- The have become more white rather than translucent in the body.

Does anyone have an explanation for this?

I am of the opinion that it is because of the abundance of black worms and the high fat content of that type of diet. and noe the fat has collected in their body and is now visible. Just a thought.

Thanks for lookin'

Best wishes,
Wes

 

[Dr. Awkward]

I've used paver sand, but not in aquariums, just to secure pavers. It was made out of limestone. Is the sand you used make out of limestone? If so, that's probably what's raising the pH and hardness of your water.

 

[wespastor]

I was done with the sand and water issue 10 days ago ... so what about my fish !!!!

 

[Dr. Awkward]

Fish lose their coloration when they're stressed or sleeping. Hemigrammus erythrozonus like soft to neutral water, which yours is not. Unless you have solved the problem with your rising pH and hardness (which from what I read above still sounds like a problem), I would consider this as a possibly as to why your fish are losing their color.

 

[wespastor]

Dr Awkward:
To help you feel Awkward Those fish were not in the tank 12 days ago when I had the hard awwater problem. Those fish are only 7 days in my tank. Check out the date of the posts.

They are coloring just nicely if you would have read my post about the fish.

The water perameters are thus and heve been hold daily for the last 7 days: pH:7.2; NH3/NH4: 0 ppm; NO2:0 ppm; NO3: 0 ppm; GH: 5; KH:7

The tank itself has been set up for several months. And I have been keepin' tanks for almost 30 years there are some thing that I am vary aware of and many thing I don't know. And the coloring of fishes due to stess is one of the things I know. But what about there diet? Now I would like to defer to my post that I made about the fish.

On May 30 I added 5 Glowlight Tetras (Hemigrammus erythrozonus) and black worms. 1 Guppies (Poecilia reticulata) was in there already.

After about 4 hours of observation, the guppy was acting like a pit-bull -- very territorial. I never new guppies could be so aggressive. He was actually fin flaring like a betta and fin nipping the Glow lights. So I had to remove the Guppy.

Then, after another two days the Glowlights have settled in and were happy in the new home acting like fish act.

Their color come in real bright almost neon.

Of course they were eating the black worms as well as the other foods I have been feeding them. I don't feed them every day, more like every other day or so and I feed them a variety of things.

Now for a new observation of the Glowlights --- The have become more white rather than translucent in the body.

Does anyone have an explanation for this?

I am of the opinion that it is because of the abundance of black worms and the high fat content of that type of diet. and noe the fat has collected in their body and is now visible. Just a thought.

Thanks for lookin'

Best wishes,
Wes