ub3rn00ber
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2014
- Messages
- 12
I'm trying to get my 100g ready for my rams that will get here Tuesday. 2 weeks ago I started lowering my ph from 8 down to 7. My kh was very high around 8 so I started eating through that with 2x daily doses of 1tsp of acid buffer and 20g daily water changes with rodi (added equlibrium and fresh trace back in). It took about a week to get the kh to 0. Once I got it to 0 I very carefully added acid buffer until I had a ph of 6.9.
After that I added the recommended 1:2 acid/alk buffers to add kh and stabilized ph. Got it on the money. Next day 7.3 on ph and 2 on kh. Errrrr!
So I spent 2 more days removing the kh then went with a 1:1 1/3 dose of acid and alk. 6.8 on ph, next day 7.2.
Now Im doing 20g water changes 2x daily with rodi + buffers and eq. I'm getting the watter to hold 6.5 in my holding tanks (aka fish safe trash cans) overnight. When I add it to the tank it goes up.
I've removed the limestone in the tank now it's just plants and drift wood. 1 small lava rock holding down a peice of drift that likes to float. I have black gravel from I think petco. I do have substrate but I don't remember the brand as Its over 1.5 years old.
I have no clue (other than substrate but I hope not) what's going on here. I'm concerned that my rams won't like the water.
No mater what it keeps going back up over 7. I'm almost tempted to get a ph monitor and dose c02 to keep the ph low...
On the plus side my nitrates have never been so low, almost 0.
I know I shouldn't chase a number and stability is key, but my plants don't like higher ph, and I know the rams wont.
Kh currently 1.6-2, gh around 75 maybe a bit lower (I raise the rodi water with equlibrium)
Can anyone help me stop chasing my tail here?
After that I added the recommended 1:2 acid/alk buffers to add kh and stabilized ph. Got it on the money. Next day 7.3 on ph and 2 on kh. Errrrr!
So I spent 2 more days removing the kh then went with a 1:1 1/3 dose of acid and alk. 6.8 on ph, next day 7.2.
Now Im doing 20g water changes 2x daily with rodi + buffers and eq. I'm getting the watter to hold 6.5 in my holding tanks (aka fish safe trash cans) overnight. When I add it to the tank it goes up.
I've removed the limestone in the tank now it's just plants and drift wood. 1 small lava rock holding down a peice of drift that likes to float. I have black gravel from I think petco. I do have substrate but I don't remember the brand as Its over 1.5 years old.
I have no clue (other than substrate but I hope not) what's going on here. I'm concerned that my rams won't like the water.
No mater what it keeps going back up over 7. I'm almost tempted to get a ph monitor and dose c02 to keep the ph low...
On the plus side my nitrates have never been so low, almost 0.
I know I shouldn't chase a number and stability is key, but my plants don't like higher ph, and I know the rams wont.
Kh currently 1.6-2, gh around 75 maybe a bit lower (I raise the rodi water with equlibrium)
Can anyone help me stop chasing my tail here?