Brookster123
Aquarium Advice Addict
1000 posts and the tank looks great!
Caliban's AquaOpti 85L
- Thread starter Caliban07
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
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Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hahaha thanks Brook.
Wow, yes 1000 posts!!!
Congrats on the tank looking pretty darn good after that horror story.
Congrats on the tank looking pretty darn good after that horror story.
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Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks Autumn. Yes it was rather distressing but everything is back to normal.
A lot of the experiments I’ve done have really just proven some things were are already aware of as a hobbyists. It’s just that I like to challenge what appears to be regurgitation and see for myself. I don’t want to be someone who just repeats what they hear or read but haven’t really had any experience in said topic. Made some mistakes and perhaps some erroneous claims but then subsequently falsified them through testing. I like to keep an open mind and can admit when I am wrong. Feeling a lot happier about everything now.
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Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
10% water changes daily at the moment and I’ve increased feeding to support plants by adding mini wafers.
The water changes help mitigate any algae the food may induce and provide critical carbonate hardness and Carbon dioxide for the plants.
The thing I love most about low turnover and sponge filters is that they tend to keep microscopic food stuff in the water column for the fish to pick at.
At this point the plants appear slightly pale in the older leaves which may be a nitrogen deficiency. Last time I added wafers I had little plant mass and the duckweed went bananas. The duckweed is making a slow comeback now suggesting that the nutrient levels have increased but there is a lot more plant mass to feed this time around.
The water changes help mitigate any algae the food may induce and provide critical carbonate hardness and Carbon dioxide for the plants.
The thing I love most about low turnover and sponge filters is that they tend to keep microscopic food stuff in the water column for the fish to pick at.
At this point the plants appear slightly pale in the older leaves which may be a nitrogen deficiency. Last time I added wafers I had little plant mass and the duckweed went bananas. The duckweed is making a slow comeback now suggesting that the nutrient levels have increased but there is a lot more plant mass to feed this time around.
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Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
Switching the co2 back on. I can’t grow the plant’s I have because unfortunately my water is just too soft and as a result there is no KH to appease the carbonate users.
I tried adding dolomite but it’s not very soluble, resulting in milky water for a day. Hopefully the lower pH will help it dissolve better and I can use it as a reliable, natural source of calcium, magnesium and KH going forward. It does produce a response but doesn’t seem to last very long before you need to re-dose. All you end up with is tons of Calcium and salt precipitation on the sides of the glass, where you can tell there’s way too much Ca and Mg.
Secondly, I tried potassium bicarbonate which adds insane amounts of potassium. This had adverse effects on both shrimp and snails too. I wasn’t performing water changes at the time so it’s possible the rapid shift in pH due to KH buffering made underlying ammonium toxic. I never tested for ammonia at the time because I had ran out of reagent and doing water changes immediately was imperative. Though after an 80% water change I repeated the test (gulp!) and the same thing happened. I’m doubtful there would have been enough ammonium in the tank after an 80% water change to have have the exact same response from fish, snails and shrimp but it is possible. My main hypothesis is that with soft water with very little calcium, sodium, sulphates, magnesium, carbonates and chloride and the solubility of potassium this resulted in a rapid increase in ions causing osmoregulatory distress. I believe this also because ALL my crypts melted which is a classic sign of ion imbalance in crypts i.e they don’t like the new water so they melt and regrow.
I tried changing 10l of water every day to provide a constant and stable level of KH from my tap even though it is minuscule. It didn’t work and fish got sick.
Lastly, I tried adding a more natural, fully dissolved hard water composition. Bottled spring water with lots of bicarbonate. Again, just like dolomite, the original response was good but it was short lived. Some plants are still showing signs of growth as a result but I don’t believe that is due to the bicarbonate alone.
The duckweed, had not been proliferating this whole time which would suggest a nutrient issue because they don’t care about co2, but I’d been adding EI levels of macros and some iron for micros so nutrients should have been aplenty. It is said that amazon frogbit is a better indicator when using the leaf colour chart in softer water as Duckweed prefers harder water so this could become the reason the duckweed was lagging. Since adding the spring water the duckweed has grown somewhat but hasn’t gone wild. This may suggest that there is very intense competition within the tank for carbonates and not just from plants. Spring water is expensive though so It wasn’t a sustainable option. Especially when water is evaporating so quickly in the drier, colder months when the heating is on full.
Therefore I’ve admitted defeat. I need to either use co2 or change out the plants for those that don’t rely heavily on carbonates but uprooting long time submerged crypts is risky.
I’m still doing no water changes at this point. Just top ups with rain or RO. I worry about the many Malaysian trumpet snails now with the co2 making the water more acidic. Hopefully the decaying of old leaves that is inevitable now the co2 content is going to rise will provide them with a decent amount of food and calcium for their shells.
I’m out all day today and so co2 goes on tomorrow where I can be home all day to monitor the concentration.
I believe the tank is nutrient dense now and simply switching co2 on will send the plants in to overdrive. I’m also expecting zero algae blooms due to the stability of the biofilter.
Watch this space for more updates [emoji846]
I tried adding dolomite but it’s not very soluble, resulting in milky water for a day. Hopefully the lower pH will help it dissolve better and I can use it as a reliable, natural source of calcium, magnesium and KH going forward. It does produce a response but doesn’t seem to last very long before you need to re-dose. All you end up with is tons of Calcium and salt precipitation on the sides of the glass, where you can tell there’s way too much Ca and Mg.
Secondly, I tried potassium bicarbonate which adds insane amounts of potassium. This had adverse effects on both shrimp and snails too. I wasn’t performing water changes at the time so it’s possible the rapid shift in pH due to KH buffering made underlying ammonium toxic. I never tested for ammonia at the time because I had ran out of reagent and doing water changes immediately was imperative. Though after an 80% water change I repeated the test (gulp!) and the same thing happened. I’m doubtful there would have been enough ammonium in the tank after an 80% water change to have have the exact same response from fish, snails and shrimp but it is possible. My main hypothesis is that with soft water with very little calcium, sodium, sulphates, magnesium, carbonates and chloride and the solubility of potassium this resulted in a rapid increase in ions causing osmoregulatory distress. I believe this also because ALL my crypts melted which is a classic sign of ion imbalance in crypts i.e they don’t like the new water so they melt and regrow.
I tried changing 10l of water every day to provide a constant and stable level of KH from my tap even though it is minuscule. It didn’t work and fish got sick.
Lastly, I tried adding a more natural, fully dissolved hard water composition. Bottled spring water with lots of bicarbonate. Again, just like dolomite, the original response was good but it was short lived. Some plants are still showing signs of growth as a result but I don’t believe that is due to the bicarbonate alone.
The duckweed, had not been proliferating this whole time which would suggest a nutrient issue because they don’t care about co2, but I’d been adding EI levels of macros and some iron for micros so nutrients should have been aplenty. It is said that amazon frogbit is a better indicator when using the leaf colour chart in softer water as Duckweed prefers harder water so this could become the reason the duckweed was lagging. Since adding the spring water the duckweed has grown somewhat but hasn’t gone wild. This may suggest that there is very intense competition within the tank for carbonates and not just from plants. Spring water is expensive though so It wasn’t a sustainable option. Especially when water is evaporating so quickly in the drier, colder months when the heating is on full.
Therefore I’ve admitted defeat. I need to either use co2 or change out the plants for those that don’t rely heavily on carbonates but uprooting long time submerged crypts is risky.
I’m still doing no water changes at this point. Just top ups with rain or RO. I worry about the many Malaysian trumpet snails now with the co2 making the water more acidic. Hopefully the decaying of old leaves that is inevitable now the co2 content is going to rise will provide them with a decent amount of food and calcium for their shells.
I’m out all day today and so co2 goes on tomorrow where I can be home all day to monitor the concentration.
I believe the tank is nutrient dense now and simply switching co2 on will send the plants in to overdrive. I’m also expecting zero algae blooms due to the stability of the biofilter.
Watch this space for more updates [emoji846]
I have basically 0 KH and used this with water changes. Cloudiness goes away pretty fast.
https://www.kentmarine.com/products/kent-superbufferdkh.htm
https://www.kentmarine.com/products/kent-superbufferdkh.htm
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Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks Autumn.
I did look at marine buffers but I’d like to know which compounds they used given the tanks adverse reaction to potassium bicarbonate.
I THINK the spring water additions were beginning to work though more time was probably needed to confirm. I feel like because the plants need to convert the carbonate in to co2 first the grow is much slower, at least initially. Some plants did put out new leaves and they are growing but just slowly. I’ve missed co2 but at least I can say I know why plants simply wont grow for some people.
My container says it contains calcium carbonate, bicarbonate, and borate salts. That is listed in the "Caution" for use area. Not sure if that is the total contents or there are other ingredients.
How much calcium is needed for CO2 use? I am wondering if I should use CO2 in the future.
How much calcium is needed for CO2 use? I am wondering if I should use CO2 in the future.
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Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks autumn. Calcium is a micro nutrient and develops in leaves over time so as long as there is some the concentration is not important. I like to have some calcium for it’s protective effects against micro toxicity (to fish and inverts) and to ensure it is a major cation above the more soluble ions such as sodium and potassium. I personally believe that with greater competition for ion uptake the fish have an easier time osmo-regulating if the calcium and magnesium ions are present in higher numbers than potassium, sodium and chloride.
I think I have the solution. Dolomite powder. It’s provides calcium, magnesium and carbonates in a more natural form. Previously, before co2 it would take a day to dissolve leaving the water cloudy as it’s not very soluble. With co2, it dissolves in about 15 mins due to the pH. Dolomite powder is not to be confused with dolomite lime.
Good to note, not the same as the lime. Where are you finding this dolomite? Garden center, fish store?
In looking at dolomite, it mentions this as a human supplement, which could be unsafe due to heavy metals like "aluminum, arsenic, lead, mercury and nickel per WebMD online.
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Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hmm that’s interesting. I’d hope the higher amounts of calcium would pretty against any heavy metals all of which mentioned are in my tap water.
Worth keeping note of though.
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Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
Getting back in to the plant side slowly but surely. I’ve just added some dwarf baby tears as a carpet so lets see if it works.
Also learned that KH is incredibly important for some plants. They will not grow without it even with co2.
It was looking a bit neater a bit back and thought I’d gotten rid of all my ‘not so dwarf sag’ but after the dolomite when in to buff KH levels it’s gone mental.
Also learned that KH is incredibly important for some plants. They will not grow without it even with co2.
It was looking a bit neater a bit back and thought I’d gotten rid of all my ‘not so dwarf sag’ but after the dolomite when in to buff KH levels it’s gone mental.
My kH is nearly if not 0, I was using Kent's Marine dkh superbuffer and stopped for awhile. Seemed like the plants were not looking good, and maybe that's why.
Which other plants had issues with low kH, were there others?
Which other plants had issues with low kH, were there others?
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Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
Some were not bothered. Crypt Balansae, Rotala Macrandra, Ludwigia repens. From what I can remember these did ok without it but then I’ve had periods with soil substrates so there may well be carbonate reserves a plenty to draw on from there.
Almost certainly the amazon swords and the crypts I’m keeping though I can’t remember the name of the one I have. Anubis sent two new leaves with the dolomite and the dwarf sag has really taken to it, it’s spreading like crazy. Before all of this I was dosing EI including magnesium sulphate. Dolomite is calcium magnesium carbonate CaMgco3. So with calcium from weekly water changes and magnesium from the MgSo4 it is only the carbonate ion that had changed. My dose of dolomite only adds about 1.5dKH but it’s significant. I don’t know if they KH needs to be at a particular level, and I’d say probably not, but there needs to be some and non limiting.
Try adding the buffer again and see what you think. Also might be worth checking the ingredients as some carbonate buffers use sodium etc. dolomite is the most natural buffer I could find but in a non co2 tank it can take quite a few hours or longer to dissolve because it’s not very soluble. In a co2 tank it’s gone in minutes.
Makes me wonder how quickly a tank runs through the KH as part of it’s overall function. My tap is about 1KH whereas there are people down London with 8KH+
It’s no wonder some people can grow plants no matter what they do but I’m more and more certain it’s because of the KH not being allowed to run down before the next water change.
In actual fact the rain water in part of London is harder than my tap.
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Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well….just been reading through some of my thread. So many pages and thousands of views. Most people have moved on now but FWIW I’ve transitioned so far from where it all began. I lost my way a lot.
My dad is a huge fisherman. Everyone knows him on the canal because he’s there every weekend. He doesn’t drive so can’t get out enough to fish the better waters so this year I’m going to take him out more so he’s not relying on my uncle’s. Anyway I digress, my point really was that fish have always been interesting to me or rather, the aquatic ecosystem. It runs in the family. In fact, any time I’ve had pets I’ve always tried to make them as comfortable as possible by trying to recreate their natural environment and looking for foods they would normally eat.
I must have been about 10-11 years old when I saw my Uncle’s tank for the first time in his living room. I’ll never forget what I saw even though it is a vague recollection. Very dark, dingy, tea stained, 4ft tank full of neon tetras.
The fish were always super bright, zippy and healthy. The tank looked so dirty. But it looked so natural to me with the plants and the wood.
I remember speaking to another uncle of mine. My auntie is german and he said when they went back to Germany after a year to see her family he remembers her tank of Tiger Barbs as they left it. When he came back he said you couldn’t see the barbs anymore because the plant mass was right up to the glass. He said when he did catch a glimpse of the barbs he couldn’t believe how big they were. I asked him about the maintenance and he said his wife’s mum was too old to do water changes so all she was asked to do was feed them.
I hold on to memories like these because they tell me that things can work. I’ve always had this feeling about letting nature be without being an activist in any way, it just feels right to me to leave things alone.
People will always say aquariums aren’t natural but the processes couldn’t be any more natural. The cycles still exist and they expand way beyond the nitrogen cycle.
My fish have always done better with minimal interference from me. I top up the water and occasionally replace some of it with RO. I feed heavily live and dry. I use plants that like my water. Plants that die I never use again.
Anyway, here she is
Betta is much happier after I replaced the heater that packed in. Temp was 20 degrees and got it back up to 24 recently. I came home the other day and thought someone had poured washing up liquid in to the tank there were that many bubbles. It was way worse than the bubbles in the picture attached. They were everywhere.
Tank inhabitants are
8 cherry barbs including 2 males the males are such a deep red. They have their own territories and there’s enough females to disperse the aggression. They are always showing mating behaviour.
3 ottos,
1 betta,
3 nerite snails I’ve had for years
Amano shrimp
Malaysian trumpet snails.
I rarely clean the overflow filter. I put some moss inside it with the sponge. I just let the water flow over the sponge and I allow mulm to collect on the substrate. The tank is left alone.
Ph 7.2
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
10 nitrate surprisingly although I did add some soil capsules to the substrate
TDS 150 I want to get this to about 70 then I’ll be topping up only.
My dad is a huge fisherman. Everyone knows him on the canal because he’s there every weekend. He doesn’t drive so can’t get out enough to fish the better waters so this year I’m going to take him out more so he’s not relying on my uncle’s. Anyway I digress, my point really was that fish have always been interesting to me or rather, the aquatic ecosystem. It runs in the family. In fact, any time I’ve had pets I’ve always tried to make them as comfortable as possible by trying to recreate their natural environment and looking for foods they would normally eat.
I must have been about 10-11 years old when I saw my Uncle’s tank for the first time in his living room. I’ll never forget what I saw even though it is a vague recollection. Very dark, dingy, tea stained, 4ft tank full of neon tetras.
The fish were always super bright, zippy and healthy. The tank looked so dirty. But it looked so natural to me with the plants and the wood.
I remember speaking to another uncle of mine. My auntie is german and he said when they went back to Germany after a year to see her family he remembers her tank of Tiger Barbs as they left it. When he came back he said you couldn’t see the barbs anymore because the plant mass was right up to the glass. He said when he did catch a glimpse of the barbs he couldn’t believe how big they were. I asked him about the maintenance and he said his wife’s mum was too old to do water changes so all she was asked to do was feed them.
I hold on to memories like these because they tell me that things can work. I’ve always had this feeling about letting nature be without being an activist in any way, it just feels right to me to leave things alone.
People will always say aquariums aren’t natural but the processes couldn’t be any more natural. The cycles still exist and they expand way beyond the nitrogen cycle.
My fish have always done better with minimal interference from me. I top up the water and occasionally replace some of it with RO. I feed heavily live and dry. I use plants that like my water. Plants that die I never use again.
Anyway, here she is
Betta is much happier after I replaced the heater that packed in. Temp was 20 degrees and got it back up to 24 recently. I came home the other day and thought someone had poured washing up liquid in to the tank there were that many bubbles. It was way worse than the bubbles in the picture attached. They were everywhere.
Tank inhabitants are
8 cherry barbs including 2 males the males are such a deep red. They have their own territories and there’s enough females to disperse the aggression. They are always showing mating behaviour.
3 ottos,
1 betta,
3 nerite snails I’ve had for years
Amano shrimp
Malaysian trumpet snails.
I rarely clean the overflow filter. I put some moss inside it with the sponge. I just let the water flow over the sponge and I allow mulm to collect on the substrate. The tank is left alone.
Ph 7.2
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
10 nitrate surprisingly although I did add some soil capsules to the substrate
TDS 150 I want to get this to about 70 then I’ll be topping up only.
Absolutely love your memories and family stories.
When I have had best spawning it has always when I have left on a trip and/or didn't do routine pwc. It's been interesting to watch your adventure through the years. As well as a privilege to have you sharing the details.. please keep on.
When I have had best spawning it has always when I have left on a trip and/or didn't do routine pwc. It's been interesting to watch your adventure through the years. As well as a privilege to have you sharing the details.. please keep on.
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Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks Autumn. I do have a soft spot for this forum. Have been out of action for a while for one reason or another but I will always be around.
As it happens, I just spoke to my uncle with the 4ft tank. Asked him what his maintenance was. He said he cleaned the tank once per year. I asked him if he had any issues. He replied with a question mark and then said ‘the tank leaked once’ needless to say I don’t think he had any problems with his yearly water change regimen [emoji23]
As it happens, I just spoke to my uncle with the 4ft tank. Asked him what his maintenance was. He said he cleaned the tank once per year. I asked him if he had any issues. He replied with a question mark and then said ‘the tank leaked once’ needless to say I don’t think he had any problems with his yearly water change regimen [emoji23]
Me too.
