xxwolfpackof1xx
Aquarium Advice Addict
lol honestly i think its your water it has some strong buffers. this is a 10g tank right?
libraygirl said:Is it b/c the GH/KH are low that the PH might crash? So far in the tank it's been consistent (around 7.4). I'll keep looking for a smaller bag of crushed coral, I'd hate to spend $20 on a large bag and it's the only size PetSmart had.
I received a response from Sachaem regarding the email Eco recommended I send.
Question
Hi, I've been trying to cycle my tank for a while now with no luck. are you familiar with any type of disinfectant used in municipal water which your product might not neutralize? Any info you can provide would be a great help.
Answer
Thank you for your question. I am unaware of any type of chemical used in water treatment that would cause such problems. Prime is a powerful reducing agent and should be able render any tap water safe for aquarium use. What seems to be the problem in your system? Could you provide some information about the setup and what you have done in cycle it? Any water parameters would also be helpful.
I guess our tap water isn't the problem. I emailed them again asking if they had any other insight considering me and you are experiencing the same exact situation. Will keep you updated when they write back.
Yes, your pH can be unstable due to weak buffering (my understanding of it), only I'm not sure adding coral is the right soulution though because it won't buffer it, it'll just raise the pH. If your pH has been stable at 7.4, I'd take a wait and see attitude myself and test daily.
firteen888 said:if it's true that Prime would render ANY tap water safe for fish, this is a good sign. The last thing I'd want is for my tap water to be unsuitable for fish. Back to the drawing board.
firteen888 said:What is RO/DI water?
firteen888 said:I received another response from Sachaem. Her is what they recommend...
- they recommend using a bacteria booster called Saechem Stability. He says he uses stability in every single tank he ever cycles and it is always extremely effective. he has been using it even before working for the company.
- I told him my tank was dosed to 3ppm and he said that is where the problem lies. 3ppm is too high to grow the BB and is likely what is killing off the bacteria. he recommends keeping it lower than this.
- He also says to dose the tank with Prime every 48 hours to keep it detoxified. even when not doing a PWC.
I know many will disagree with this, but this was what he said.
Mr. Limpet said:The trouble with RO|DI water in a FW, is that it strips everything from the water including essential nutrients. SW tanks use it safely because salt like Instant Ocean (IO) add needed ones back in. I wouldn't recommend it in FW and I don't even use it in my BW setup (while using IO).
Here's a webpage that's good read with some valuable info on buffers/buffering.
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumKH.html#khbuffers