water change ?

Thank you for the article...it will help me tremendously!! I am going to add some baking soda for now (I have that on hand), but I WILL buy some crushed coral, I'll just have to wait until Friday (payday) and I'll just order it from thatpetplace or somewhere like that then I know I'll get it, waiting until I can make it to the closest LFS (which is an hour away) it may be forever before I make it. But it sounds like I need to do something so I'll get at least the baking soda in. And I do have an airstone (a small one) but maybe for now I'll add that too.

Now should I add the crushed coral to the filter or the tank, I've heard both but which will benifit the most?

And what KH/GH should I be aiming for?

Thanks soooo much,

Gin
 
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4 dKH isn't that low, it's fine where it is so don't worry about it. Don't add baking soda, it's not needed. The KH will rise on its own over the course of a couple of weeks after you add crushed coral for the pH anyhow. A low KH to worry about is under 3. Actually, I'd kill to have 3 again. I've got 1-2 out of the tap right now. Just keep up with your regular water changes and you're golden.

It'll take a couple of weeks for the pH to rise. Coral dissolves faster in acidic water and since yours is alkaline, it won't work miracles overnight :)

Your GH is so high because of the salt, Gin. Soon as you start adding stuff like that to the water, you "thicken" it and make it "harder". So adding salt to the water thickens it and raises the GH. I get the same effect when I add magnesium sulfate into my tanks for the plants. It raises the GH somewhat. It's perfectly okay and all good.

Test one of your other tank's GH and you'll see what I mean.

So, don't aim to change the GH or KH. It'll rise on its own with the salt and coral, and so will the pH.

As for where to put the coral -- that's up to you. I used coral for the substrate. Seemed easiest for me and looks "marine-ish" :)

Roan
 
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IMO, we have a 55G that is set up like one we've seen at a petstore and it has lots of plants (90% of mine are fake) and some rock in the middle with a piece of driftwood on both sides(pics are a little older than current setup), but to stay on topic :OT: for substrate we have the brownish color rock w/ white rock mixed in (gravel not rock) and it looks very nice. you could mix some crushed coral in with this type of rock, not to have too much crushed coral or too much of the white look (no offence, Roan, my puffer tank is the "white look" LOL)

55 planted
 
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Pufferpoison said:
. . . you could mix some crushed coral in with this type of rock, not to have too much crushed coral or too much of the white look (no offence, Roan, my puffer tank is the "white look" LOL)
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Hey, I said it looked "marine-ish" -- didn't say I LIKED it :joke:

Actually, it looked pretty cool until the diatoms set up camp :rolleyes:

Roan
 
IMHO & IME, in BW a KH of 4 is dangerously low. NIMT. I admit that most of my BW experience has been w/puffers - notoriously messy high bioload fish. I use aragonite substrates over RFUG to maximize my KH and support high pH without significant variation.
 
Well my substrate is sand (playsand), I was going to go with the seachem sand for it originally but when my plans for my 55 fell through I had all this sand and figured I'd use it instead. I was going for sand because of my violet goby (and I like the look). Maybe I should just get some of the sand I was going to go with and redue the tank? Although at thatpetplace they have a sale on 5lbs of crushed coral, and a couple other buffering substrates, would that be enough to add to the sand I already have or would it take more than that?

As far as the baking soda I had already added it after reading the article I got (which I put on my fav's list). So I am going to see if that did make a difference or not and after Friday I will order something to add to the tank (coral or whichever).

Pufferpoison: I love your tank it looks great! I stayed away from driftwood because I was told in a BW tank it could be harmful (because of the tanins or whatever)

Right now mine doesn't have alot in it (I spent so much on everything for the 55 that I didn't get to get....long story), so I had to go with what I had, I'll be getting more rock and stuff for mine.

Anyway's Thanks everyone, when I test again I'll let you know the results and after I get the coral I'll post results. Any other suggestions are ALWAYS welcome!!

Thanks,

Gin
 
hey thanks, it's changed some, but you get the idea. it's not a brackish tank. i think i read that the driftwood lowers the ph some, but haven't had any drop as of yet. Right now i'm waiting for my 90G to come in. i'm going SW/Reef setup. talk about blowing money. Just my substrate / live rock is costing around $500. thank god for credit cards :)
 
Pufferpoison said:
hey thanks, it's changed some, but you get the idea. it's not a brackish tank. i think i read that the driftwood lowers the ph some, but haven't had any drop as of yet. Right now i'm waiting for my 90G to come in. i'm going SW/Reef setup. talk about blowing money. Just my substrate / live rock is costing around $500. thank god for credit cards :)
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I sooo need a bigger tank, I've "almost" got one three times now each time right as I was going to get it something fell through!! Last time I had every thing, just got the light and hood (last thing I needed) and went to get the tank from the guy and he changed his mind, he decided he wanted to keep it...eerrrr I was so upset!!!
I'd love a salt water tank they are so beautiful....got to get this BW figured out first (and more room & tanks & ect..ect..).

I am thinking I'll get the fake driftwood I just love the look of it. Maybe when I order the coral stuff I'll get a couple. Oh back to my question though... Would it be better for me to get Florida crushed coral...a cichlid sand mix...or that volcanic rock stuff? I was thinking the cichlid sand (by seachem), since I have sand already I could mix some in with it (I know I shouldn't just put it in on TOP the old). Would that work?

I tested after the baking soda and it took 33 drops for the GH but only 4 for the KH.

Thanks everyone! :fairy:
 
as far as mixing it, i've read on the saltwater forums that you shouldn't do that with sand and CC. i can't remeber why and can't find, it might not have anything to do with your situation and it could have had something to do with inverts sifting or something???? but you might wait to hear from someone for sure on that matter. you could always stuff it in a filter bag in your filter too. i would take the florida CC. i have a bag of it here that i'm not using (bought a 45LBS bag for my 75G and some for my 29 gallon, changed my mind and went w/ a 90G instead and Live sand) so i have lots of it here. depending on how much you need / location. i would give you some (if it's a small amount or sell the rest of bag to you if you wanted a large amount) if you paid for shipping. PM if your interested.
 
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