What to do with my 20G tank for pH, etc.

[fishlove777]

4/12/2014 I emptied out roughly 17-18 gallons of water from my 20G tank because I could not get the pH down at all! It stood steady at 8.4 no matter what I did for a week. I am eager to get my fish, so I added about 7 gallons of RO (reverse osmosis) water tonight (that is all I had containers enough to fill for now.) I have driftwood in it to balance pH. I plan to add more water this week, leave it covered and allow the bubbler (if that is even what it is called) move the water around for now. I should have more water in a day or two to add so the filter can move it.
I have some questions. Is it okay to let it sit like this for the time period I am going to? Also, do I need to add aqua safe conditioners and pH balancers with RO water? I used the water care kit and it did not lower pH. Would anyone recommend that product for aquarium bacteria starting, etc.? Another thing, my filter cartridge somehow released some carbon pieces into the water. Is this harmful? How do I get it out without emptying my tank? The tank is quite heavy for me with some back/neck problems I have. I worry about dropping it to empty.


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[venymae]

It's fine to let it sit. If you have hard water, doing partial RO water substitutions should help, but really I would just look into fish that enjoy your water type! Molly and Platy fish both enjoy a high pH. Also, most tanks with high pH will drop a little as they mature.

The carbon will not hurt your tank. Have you researched the nitrogen cycle? Bottled bacteria can sometimes help you cycle faster, but the best thing you can do is get seeded (dirty) media from another established tank. Some fish stores will allow you to have some of theirs or at least a squeezing (it'll look like you're taking home a bag of dirty water. lol) that is your BEST bet to help speed up your cycle. Hope this helps and other chime in too!

 

[fishlove777]

It's fine to let it sit. If you have hard water, doing partial RO water substitutions should help, but really I would just look into fish that enjoy your water type! Molly and Platy fish both enjoy a high pH. Also, most tanks with high pH will drop a little as they mature.

The carbon will not hurt your tank. Have you researched the nitrogen cycle? Bottled bacteria can sometimes help you cycle faster, but the best thing you can do is get seeded (dirty) media from another established tank. Some fish stores will allow you to have some of theirs or at least a squeezing (it'll look like you're taking home a bag of dirty water. lol) that is your BEST bet to help speed up your cycle. Hope this helps and other chime in too!

I moved this from another thread. You may see it in "what did you do with your tank..." Someone helped me again put up my own to ask questions.

I am currently researching the nitrogen cycle. I have an Apongeonous plant sprouting right now. 1/6 bulbs. I got attacked pretty hard about putting in a black moor. I might do mollies or guppies. But they like pH around 6.8. And need a heater. I mean I can get a heater. I may change my mind and get either one so I can add gravel or sand for my plant to root. Any NC advice? Also, what RO:tap ratio would you recommend in a 20G? Thanks!

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[venymae]

Mollies actually do very well in hard water, as do platy fish (thrive in up to 8.3). Guppies not as much, but most fish, unless very sensitive can adapt and do ok outside their pH range.

Yeah, 20 gallon foot print would get too small for a black moor unfortunately Most fish sold in aquaria are tropical and will need a heater. Might start checking craigslist...

You can use either gravel or sand for your plants, both work. Just make sure you leave part of the bulb exposed and put them in right side up (more common mistake than you might think!)

I really don't know much about the RO to regular water ratio, I do know it needs to be the same every time though, or you risk shock to your fish.

hope someone else can help you more!

 

[anteatergoanna]

Hi, I had trouble with my big tank and ended up adding "API Stress zyme+"' this contains live bacteria, after dosing the tank as directed my tank is now okay, ph is down to 7.3, nitrate under 5.... Good luck

 

[ScotJudd]

I don't know if you have done this yet but I would run a bucket of your source water (tap etc) and leave it to sit for 24 hours. Then test it for Ph, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Kh and Ph. This gives you a base line to work from, before influences from tank/filter contents.
Only then can you make considered choices on whether to work with what you have, make minor adjustments or fight it to get the parameters that you want. I personally tweak the Kh and Gh but work with the water choosing plants and fish that will either thrive or adapt.
I would then do fish less cycling. Loads of advice on the Net and on here about that.
The end result, although you have had to be patient, is much more rewarding.
Hope that. Helps a bit. Good luck with your tank.

 

[tommyk]

Hi Fishlove 777,
Glad to see you got the new thread up.
I was in a very similar situation to you about 6 months ago I have very hard tapwater with a ph of 8.2. I tried everything to change it Chemical buffers, vinegar, RO etc.
The chemical buffer I tried was Proper pH 7, It did get the pH to drop but for a very short period however it turned the water milky white so I couldn't use that, (I think it reacts with the hardness or Alkalinity in the water) Vinegar worked but only for a short time, Gradually over a few hours, not days the pH rose back to where it was. I also carted about 15 gallons of RO to my tank (its a 40 Gallon Tank) it made very little difference to the pH.
Finally I gave in and said I was going to use the tap water as it was. The hassle of using RO every water change and trying to make sure that the pH was the same as the tank made me reconsider.
I have a nice little community tank going now and have only every lost on fish, and im sure that he was ill when he left the LFS.
The fish I have in the tank are:
5 Buenos Aires Tetras
8 Neon Tetras
4 Glo light Tetras
7 Mollies
4 cory catfish
1 BN Pleco
The all are in the high pH for 6 months plus and have never had any problems. some of them have spawned and I have 2 mollies that are very pregnant.
In the long run it will be easier if you can acclimatise your fish to your tap water supply without always battling with the water chemistry.

 

[tommyk]

Sorry about the Long Post.

On the cycling, you have 2 options and they will take approx. 1 to 2 months to fully complete, fishless cycling and fish in cycling.
There is loads of info on both in these threads and some people feel quiet strongly about which you should use. a cycle basically ensures that there are enough Benificial bacteria in your system to convert fish waste (ammonia) into Nitrate through a few steps

For any cycle to take place you need an ammonia source, this ammonia is converted to Nitrite by bacteria which build up in your filter media over time, the nitrite is converted by another set of bacteria to Nitrate The reason a cycle takes so long is it takes time for sufficient bacteria to grow.

Fishless cycling uses an artificial source of ammonia and it is dosed as required. Fish in cycling uses fish in the tank to supply ammonia from their poop.
You need a good liquid test kit for either method.
and fish in cycling can be done safe but required a lot more water changes (up to 50% daily) so that your fish are not being poisoned with ammonia or nitrite.

 

[fishlove777]

Everyone had a lot of great advice. Is it okay with everybody if I make a mass response woth just one comment?

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[tommyk]

Hope it was of some use
Did you decide what you were going to do?

 

[fishlove777]

Hope it was of some use
Did you decide what you were going to do?

Yes. I am going to adopt Mollies and corrie cats. I added in about 2G hard water and 3G RO today. I have about 2G hard water sitting in jugs to cycle for a day or two. Then when I do WCs I will do 50:50. Start off next week with maybe doing 20% change with 2G hard and 2G RO. That way I can slowly introduce the change to 50:50. Hoping to buy at least two fish this weekend since my pH finally got to about 7.0. It was neutral. I would like to put just a few in to help the NC get kicked off better. I have two amazing Aqueon 125GPH filters. So, I hope all goes well.

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[tommyk]

Mollies and corys should adapt fine to the higher ph water, mollies actually thrive in it, it would save a lot of messing with ro water in the long run and make water changes easier. Mine are happy out in ph 8.
Have a read up on fish in cycling if your going to add fish this weekend, the main thing is to test your water daily and do 50% water changes once your parameters get high. A water conditioner that detoxifies ammonia and nitrite will be very handy, you can sleep easier knowing your fish arnt being burned with ammonia. It could mean daily water changes but it will settle down after the cycle is complete.

 

[fishlove777]

Mollies and corys should adapt fine to the higher ph water, mollies actually thrive in it, it would save a lot of messing with ro water in the long run and make water changes easier. Mine are happy out in ph 8.
Have a read up on fish in cycling if your going to add fish this weekend, the main thing is to test your water daily and do 50% water changes once your parameters get high. A water conditioner that detoxifies ammonia and nitrite will be very handy, you can sleep easier knowing your fish arnt being burned with ammonia. It could mean daily water changes but it will settle down after the cycle is complete.

I need to get an ammonia tester kit. Jack's Pets had a sale on gold mollies 3 for $6.97. I think 3 would be a good kick off but something tells me 1 molly and one cory cat is the better way to go.

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[tommyk]

Mollies and corys both prefer to be in groups of their own species. If it was me I would go with the three mollies first. Make sure you get all the same sex if you don't want to breed them. Otherwise get 2 females for every 1 male. It saves the females from getting harassed by the males.
The most recommended test kit on this site seems to be the api master kit. It has tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph. You will need to test for all these during your cycle. Any liquid test kit should be fairly reliable if you can't get api. Don't get test strips they are very unreliable and a waste of money.

 

[fishlove777]

Mollies and corys both prefer to be in groups of their own species. If it was me I would go with the three mollies first. Make sure you get all the same sex if you don't want to breed them. Otherwise get 2 females for every 1 male. It saves the females from getting harassed by the males.
The most recommended test kit on this site seems to be the api master kit. It has tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph. You will need to test for all these during your cycle. Any liquid test kit should be fairly reliable if you can't get api. Don't get test strips they are very unreliable and a waste of money.

I got 3 females since that is all they had. And a spotted cory cat. Just until more poo gets in the tank. Don't want it to starve.

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[tommyk]

All will be good just watch your ammonia for the first couple of days. If it gets above 0.5 do a 50% water change. After the first few days you will need to keep a close eye on ammonia and nitrite for a couple of weeks. Same with nitrite if you see any sign of it in your testing do a 50% water change ( nitrite is particularly poisonous to fish, as well as burns it can block the fish from adsorbing oxygen from the water, basically suffocating them.
Corys are great for picking up any leftover food that hits the gravel, they like the gravel nice and poo free though.
Keep an eye out for any of your mollies getting big and fat. They could be pregnant from the LFS.
What sort of test kit have you?
And what ph did your tank stabilise at?
Have you added them to the tank yet, I hope the fish store told you how to acclimatise them if there is a difference in ph
Sorry for all the questions, I just hope it all works out for you.
Would love to see some pics of them in their new home

 

[fishlove777]

All will be good just watch your ammonia for the first couple of days. If it gets above 0.5 do a 50% water change. After the first few days you will need to keep a close eye on ammonia and nitrite for a couple of weeks. Same with nitrite if you see any sign of it in your testing do a 50% water change ( nitrite is particularly poisonous to fish, as well as burns it can block the fish from adsorbing oxygen from the water, basically suffocating them.
Corys are great for picking up any leftover food that hits the gravel, they like the gravel nice and poo free though.
Keep an eye out for any of your mollies getting big and fat. They could be pregnant from the LFS.
What sort of test kit have you?
And what ph did your tank stabilise at?
Have you added them to the tank yet, I hope the fish store told you how to acclimatise them if there is a difference in ph
Sorry for all the questions, I just hope it all works out for you.
Would love to see some pics of them in their new home

They are in. I know how to...acclimatise....from childhood. I just never knew there was a name for it lol. Like the nitrogen cycle I knew all about but didn't know it was called cycling and all that. So, I look like an idiot but it turns out I knew my stuff. Haha. I just have pH strips. Need to buy more and an ammonia tester tonight or tomorrow. Tank was pH 7.0 when I checked the other day before adding more water. They were swimming through the bubbler bubbles earlier like kids run through a sprinkler. It was adorable. Well everyone just got camera shy. I will post pictures when they show themselves. They spend so much time staring in the window.

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[fishlove777]

Okay, so I had to stalk them. Cory is hiding.

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[tommyk]

Looks good. I hope they do really well for you ?

Mine are the same. Always out and about until I try and take a pic.

 

[tommyk]

Just a thought, I'm not 100% sure but I always thought you had to have some sort of substrate for cory's.

I've heard a few people on the forums saying you can get an api master kit on amazon for $20 to $30. Not a bad price considering over here they are nearly €50