typical newbie stuff - adding fish, etc.

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Ozma

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Nov 27, 2002
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I have started a moderately-planted (about 60% planted) 20 gal tank. The gravel and HOT filter media are new, but the plants came from established tanks (and pond). The substrate is laterite and then gravel. I let the plants settle in for a week.

Unsure how much the tank would cycle, I added 3 guppies (what was I thinking?....the lfs had a particularly pretty batch in and the kids were there.....) and a snail. The fish have been there 6 days and there has been no change in my ammonia or nitrite readings (both 0). The pH started at 7.5 out of the tap (well water with GH and KH at 5) and held there for the first four days, but then drifted upwards a bit. I was temporarily anchoring a plant with a marble rock, so I took the rock out yesterday and the plant seems to have rooted enough to stay put. Could the rock have increased the pH in just a few days? Does anyone expect that I will start to show ammonia readings, or is okay to add some more fish? I can add some pea gravel from an established pond if needed, but the pond is quite cold right now -would the bacteria be active once they come inside and warm up? I would like to add a school of neons (and eventually a few otos). Will they tolerate the higher pH?

Thanks
 

NJ Devils Fan

#1 Devils fan
Oct 28, 2002
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If you are cycling the tank, you have to add some source of ammonia to it. You said you had it running for about a week with plants, nothing was really happening because there was no source of ammonia. Now that you added the guppies, you will have an ammonia reading because the fish produce the ammonia. You shouldn't add any fish for a while because there will be too many fish for you bio load. It usually takes a tank 4-6 weeks to cycle when your doing a fishy cycle. After your tank has fully cycled, add fish in small amounts, 1-2 fish at a time so you give the bio load time to get bigger.

HTH
 

wetmanNY

AC Members
Laterite in your substrate was a smooth move! stay smooth and wait before you add more fish.

The source of your rising pH: is it really rising, or just higher in the later afternoon from photosynthesis? (Or it could be just a fluctuation, like 7.2 to 7.4 or 7.6.) It also could be carbonates in your gravel. Or if you tested tapwater straight from the tap, it could have had more gases under pressure, including CO2. When CO2 outgases, the pH goes up: they're interlinked with the carbonates.
 

Ozma

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Nov 27, 2002
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I will hold off on adding any fish for a while.

The pH held steady at 7.5 for about three days, fluctuated upwards for one day, and has set steady at 8.0 for about three days.

I test the water at the same time every morning about 2 hours after the lights go on. I cleaned some plant debris from the filter intake today and noticed some white precipitate around areas of the filter - not enough to collect and test yet. I wouldn't be too surprised if our well water had some minerals precipitating out, but our faucets are usually clean of encrustations (and we disconnected the water softener a long time ago). I suspect its the gravel as the bag has a small print disclaimer that it may contain minerals which may effect the water pH - thats what I get for assuming things marked as aquarium gravel would be ok. The KH has consistentl tested 5 from the tap, but is now 6 in the tank. Don't know if that is a significant change or whether its due to testing technique or increased carbonates in the water from the gravel. I would rather not change the gravel as it was the best I could find locally. Will the gravel pose problems or do I just need to adjust what fish I get to those that prefer alkaline conditions? Will I have pH fluctuations every time I do a water change and will that be a problem?

Thanks
 

wetmanNY

AC Members
I'm sorry to think they sold you gravel suited to a marine tank. It has bits of crushed coral and shelly debris-- or it's partly limestone. The carbonate of aragonite in it will buffer the water at a higher pH, meaning less available CO2 for plants. It's a good water for guppies platies and swordtails, but it'll limit your success with plants or neon tetras...

Test some of your sand at the bottom of a mug. Cover it with vinegar and see if bubbles (of CO2) form. That's a sign of carbonates that will raise your pH.

I'd take a deep breath and start over with plain silicate construction sand mixed with Flourite. But that's a hard decision.
 

Ozma

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Nov 27, 2002
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Wetman,

After your last reply, I tested the gravel with vinegar and there was no visible bubbling. I don't have any stronger acid around at the moment....

I guess there are worse things than livebearers. I'd rather be limited in fish choice than be chasing the water chemistry around with additives. I'll wait and see how things settle out. Thanks.
 

Faramir

The twit from over the pond.
Nov 20, 1998
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We don't know that this is marine gravel. It may just be the marble rock.

I'm not surprised that you haven't got measurable ammonia or nitrite with a 60% planted tank and three guppies.

See if the pH stabilises now the rock's gone. I wouldn't worry about not seeing metabolites, and gradually increase the fishload over a period of weeks.
 
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