Tank disaster related to DIY CO2?

That is correct. pH 8 and KH of 4 from tap. When diaster struck the pH fell to 5.6. The only pH buffering i have done is pH UP after the diaster.

Before this I was doing a 10% change (water) once per week in this tank. (Worked just fine prior to CO2)


When adding water to tank I use straight tap treated only with Wardley's CHLOR OUT and Seachem Flourish.


Even with only one bottle now I can't get my KH over 2 degrees.

Until I can get my KH up I am going to be stuck using ph Up.
 
I think I may have figured it out. Please let me know if i am on the right track.

Before I decided that I was going for a planted tank I was adding salt to my water at changes. (I could never get any plants to really grow in my tanks before.)

Now when I decided that I was going to get a planted tank going I changed three things.

1. - I added more lighting.

2. - Begun using DIY CO2

3. - I stopped using salt because I thought it would be bad
for my plants.

Could the fact that I completely stopped using salt contributed the lack of buffering that my water had?


When I starting think about it I was sure that I read somewhere that salts increased KH or at least improved bufferring.
 
Salt should not be part of the equation in a planted tank.
And it does not evaporate out of the water. Since it will be a detriment to your plant's growth, I suggest a series of large water changes to get rid of it.

-kH (carbonate hardness) and gH (general hardness) are two separate things and are increased by different measures. You can increase one without significantly changing the other.

Len
 
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"3. - I stopped using salt because I thought it would be bad
for my plants."



I have changed the water enough times to fill up two thirty gallon tanks before I put the plants in.

I don't need to remove salt.... it's all ready gone.

I am going to try adding about 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda to the water to see what effect it that will have on my KH. If I can get the KH above 4, I think I will have better luck keeping my pH stable with the CO2.
 
Just remember that you'll probably have to add the baking soda at each water change. If you have access to some crushed coral that you can put into a filter bag and put in your filter it makes it a bit easier.
I think, somewhere in this thread you reported a kH of 4°H. If that's the case, you don't need to buffer up at all. You probably over injected the gas and that's the reason for the huge drop in pH. There are ways around that issue though.
As far as the salt thing goes.......at the end of one of your posts you said something about thinking that it might improve your buffer. That's why I responded the way I did.
And......we all try to help out in any way we can. We learn a great deal from these inter-actions.

Len
 
Originally posted by eea876
That is correct. pH 8 and KH of 4 from tap. When diaster struck the pH fell to 5.6. The only pH buffering i have done is pH UP after the diaster.

Before this I was doing a 10% change (water) once per week in this tank. (Worked just fine prior to CO2)
Click to expand...


So, the KH may have been falling solowly over time, with very small tap additions to increase it.


When adding water to tank I use straight tap treated only with Wardley's CHLOR OUT and Seachem Flourish.


Even with only one bottle now I can't get my KH over 2 degrees.

Until I can get my KH up I am going to be stuck using ph Up.
Click to expand...

the baking soda you mentioned will work, also try crushed coral from the marine section of the fish store.
 
Originally posted by eea876
INow when I decided that I was going to get a planted tank going I changed three things.

1. - I added more lighting.

2. - Begun using DIY CO2

3. - I stopped using salt because I thought it would be bad
for my plants.

Could the fact that I completely stopped using salt contributed the lack of buffering that my water had?


When I starting think about it I was sure that I read somewhere that salts increased KH or at least improved bufferring.
Click to expand...

The light makes the plants run faster, so KH can burn up faster than before, but this is usually a small effect, unless you are below KH3, which you probably were, due to small water changes and starting at KH 4.

the Co2 makes the plants run faster.... speeding up those reactions.

Salt, if it is marine salt, might have buffers. "Aquarium salt" might have buffers, pickling salt or solar salt wont.
 
Update.

I have begun using baking soda. My KH is now at 10 degrees. I hope this isn't going to be too high.

My water appears to be buffering quite well now. Two days and nights without the pH changing a bit. I will continue to monitor pH and KH daily. If I can find a balance that I am sure I can maintain I will slowly begin to restock my tank.

BTW... my 1year old molly is doing much better. She swims vigorously when I approach the tank and eats voraciously again.
( She was the only one to survive my diaster.)
 
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