Will regular WC prevent high LDS?

[el wadd]

I'm currently using seachem discus buffer in conjunction with its' neutral regulator to adjust my pH. I know, I know, I'm not a fan of the add-ins either. I don't plan on adding these products forever, just temporarily till I get the cash for a decent cO2 set-up....

I'm concerned about high LDS from these products. I do 20% wc's 3 times a week. Does this help? I just figured they did the trick, but late at night I find myself wondering....

 

[J double R]

you may want to start 15% or 10% DAILY with the discus.. you want their params to be as steady as possible.

but yeah, constant water changes will reduce LDS.

 

[el wadd]

you may want to start 15% or 10% DAILY with the discus.. you want their params to be as steady as possible.

but yeah, constant water changes will reduce LDS.

I would think adding the buffers everyday would be rougher than every other day, just as far as stress goes.....they HATE it when I'm in there.

 

[Sammie7]

I'm currently using seachem discus buffer in conjunction with its' neutral regulator to adjust my pH. I know, I know, I'm not a fan of the add-ins either. I don't plan on adding these products forever, just temporarily till I get the cash for a decent cO2 set-up....

I'm concerned about high LDS from these products. I do 20% wc's 3 times a week. Does this help? I just figured they did the trick, but late at night I find myself wondering....

I wonder what you mean when you say this. I have come to believe that Ph changes from CO2 have no effect on fish, so by adding CO2 to decrease the Ph to a level you want, you really aren't doing anything that the fish notice. By adding the chemicals you are actually changing the water and it's mineral content and that has an effect on the fish, but that isn't the way CO2 would work if you added it in hopes of changing the Ph to something the fish would "prefer." Did that make any sense? Hopefully someone else with more knowledge on water chemistry can chime in. I am basically saying that by adding CO2 you aren't going to get the same effect you would if you actually changed the mineral composition of the water.

 

[el wadd]

No, of course not. I'm planning on CO2 with regular water changes with RO/DI water. The CO2 is for the plants mostly, but a nice side benefit of the set-up would be a more controllable pH without the need for buffers. I plan on using RO/DI water before too long, and when that happens I'll be able to control my water quality a bit better.

I'm not a simpleton, and dread the thought of adding anything extra to my water any longer than I have to. I don't plan on chasing the dragons tail forever....
The fact that I'm adding all these water changing chemicals isn't making me smile, but they're a temporarily necessary evil that I'm putting up with.

 

[Sammie7]

No, of course not. I'm planning on CO2 with regular water changes with RO/DI water. The CO2 is for the plants mostly, but a nice side benefit of the set-up would be a more controllable pH without the need for buffers. I plan on using RO/DI water before too long, and when that happens I'll be able to control my water quality a bit better.

I'm not a simpleton, and dread the thought of adding anything extra to my water any longer than I have to. I don't plan on chasing the dragons tail forever....
The fact that I'm adding all these water changing chemicals isn't making me smile, but they're a temporarily necessary evil that I'm putting up with.

I still think you are missing my point. Changing your water's Ph with CO2 is not the same as changing it with buffers. They work on two different principles.

 

[J double R]

I still think you are missing my point. Changing your water's Ph with CO2 is not the same as changing it with buffers. They work on two different principles.

care to explain these two so very different principles? i'm curious.

 

[severum mama]

Won't you still have to use some kind of buffers if you are using only RO water in the future? I was under the impression that RO water was missing some beneficial trace elements that were found in tap water....

My discus thrive in tap water, BTW, and my pH is up around 8.0. I use no buffers.

 

[ct-death]

A lot things can affect pH, especially in an aquatic environment, but the pH reading is the same no matter the "cause" that got you there.

Now, if you are using the pH as an indirect measure for dissolved solids or chemicals that by testing for pH provides the needed information, that's different.

An example is testing for pH, and a spike in the water, to indirectly indicate for some harmful TDS as a means of determining WCs especially with UGFs...Anyways, that's what one of my small local mom&pop fish stores do :shrug:

 

[el wadd]

I still think you are missing my point. Changing your water's Ph with CO2 is not the same as changing it with buffers. They work on two different principles.

I get your point, but honestly don't really understand where you're coming from.
I don't see what the difference is besides the fact that right now I'm throwing a bunch of chemicals in that I don't really need. With the addition of tap water and trace elements, RO/DI water in conjunction with a CO2 system will keep my waters pH right where I want it, and soften it up in the process.. Am I mistaken in thinking this?
Of course the water make-up will be different, but in my opinion it would be much better to be able to add my minerals back in then to just keep dumping more and more of this chemical that turns all the water acidic.

I can get the same results by this approach, and it seems to me that it would be safer and a bit more stable than just fiddling with chemicals everytime I WC .