Stains on tank hood

[Wy Renegade]

White vinegar is also a great tool for removing the water stains when they get a little too hard or crusty for the razor blade and wet paper towels. Old crusted glass will turn crystal clear again. Just be sure and rinse the vinegar soaked items well, as vinegar can promote the growth of some types of green algae.

 

[aqua_chem]

Hardness is just a measure of certain dissolved solutes. Generally speaking, GH relates to your magnesium and calcium levels, and KH to carbonate levels. Some fish come from hard or soft water and prefer it, but most fish are mostly adaptable.

 

[jessa1606]

I have the same problem. Razors have worked best for me in the past

 

[Mikey214]

I'll try keeping up with it on the new tank now that I know what it is ! Lmao very interesting !

 

[swimwithme]

How can the ph crash ?

"As hydrogen ions are produced, they are immediately tied up by the buffer ion, and the pH remains roughly the same - until all the buffer ions are used up. At this point, the pH drops rapidly, and this sudden "pH crash" can be very damaging to fish."

I've read when the PH crashes it's like dropping a fish in acid and basically eats their skin (scales)
I've personally never had this happen since my fish have been added but I did have it drop during my fishless cycle. I had to do an immediate 100% PWC.

 

[KPCustoms]

are you using just plain tap water?

 

[Mikey214]

are you using just plain tap water?

Yes I am

 

[KPCustoms]

thats why, to minimize your calcium build up you should get some ro water its better for your fish to

 

[Mikey214]

thats why, to minimize your calcium build up you should get some ro water its better for your fish to

Ro water ?

 

[KPCustoms]

revers osmosis water

 

[Mikey214]

revers osmosis water

And where do I get that from ? :thinking:

 

[KPCustoms]

most pet stores will have it. it should be about 39 cents a gallon but its well worth it

 

[aqua_chem]

That's foolish. Unless you've got something very specific in mind, there's no reason to run RODI water in a freshwater tank.

My water has almost the EXACT parameters that you have (I suspect), and my german rams breed in it. The cardinals don't seem to mind either. Unless you have something that will absolutely need that kind of water (SA Cichlid breeding operation, Chocolate Gouramis, etc), RO water isn't worth it. No one is stopping you from it (and really buying a RODI setup yourself would be the price effective option), but your money is much better spent in other capacities.

 

[KPCustoms]

it will cut down on the calcium build up though

 

[aqua_chem]

It's a hacksaw on mashed potatoes.


And expensive hacksaw at that.

 

[KPCustoms]

depends on your water situation I'm running off water from a pump in my back yard that is so hard it kills the fish so i have no other option. for some people its worth it

 

[aqua_chem]

I've never heard of water hardness killing fish before, unless you were trying to keep discus or something of the sort. Regardless, without knowing the OP's conditions or future plans, it's less than prudent to suggest such an extreme response to an issue as common as hard water.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Personally, I would never ever run RO/DI water in a freshwater aquarium. Its recommended for saltwater aquariums because you replace all the necessary ions and elements by mixing in your aquarium salt. If you're running RO/DI water in a freshwater tank, you're depriving the fish and plants of much needed ions and elements that they normally obtain out of the water column, and unlike with saltwater there are no additives to replace them. Additionally, I'd think that you may be eliminating the ability of the water to act as well as a natural buffer and making it more likely that you will have pH issues. If I couldn't use tap water, I would use spring water from the grocery before going to RO/DI. JMO

 

[KPCustoms]

doesn't the spring water contain some chlorine (which i thought was really bad) in it though?

 

[aqua_chem]

You can use Prime or another treatment chemical for that, but no, I don't think that it does.