Rummy nosed tetra help!

[Bearchumjs]

Yah I agree 8.2ish.

When you tested your tap water for pH did you let it sit out for at least 24 hours first?

The reason I ask is that dissolved gasses (co2) in your tap water will cause a lower pH reading initially, then you will find your true pH once the water has time to settle.

I did and I stirred it occasionally too. It was about 7.8-8.0.

It's like playing roulette. I never know what reading I will get.

 

[Chronos313]

It may take a few days since adding the driftwood and peat moss. Just test every 2-3 days. Fish can adjust and I wouldn't be too concerned about ph. It will naturally lower now so just have patience and maintain what your doing. Your rummynoses will have really red noses when they are in happy conditions. The color will fade when they are in distress. Any other questions you may have ask away

 

[Alkane]

If your tap is at a pH of 8 here are some options:

1: ro/di filter around $100. Wound't get this unless you have multiple tanks and/or plan to get a saltwater tank in the future. Mix 1/2 ro/di with 1/2 tap.

2: buy distilled water from the store and mix it consistently with your tap. So 1 gallon distilled for every 3 gallons of tap or something like that. Just got to keep it consistent.

3: Use rain water the same way you would with distilled water.

4: If you have some live plants you could setup some DIY co2 its easy and costs about $5-10ish. This will add co2 and lower your pH a bit. It also helps to prevent some algae growth.

5: Just keep using tap water and hope for the best. Try to do as little water changes as possible so the tanic acid can build up in the tank. Just keep your nitrates at 10 or below. The rummies will hopefully adapt to the high pH, but may never be truly happy. You may want to consider some african cichlids or other fish that like a high pH and some extra water hardness. May make it easier for you.

 

[Bearchumjs]

If your tap is at a pH of 8 here are some options:

1: ro/di filter around $100. Wound't get this unless you have multiple tanks and/or plan to get a saltwater tank in the future. Mix 1/2 ro/di with 1/2 tap.

2: buy distilled water from the store and mix it consistently with your tap. So 1 gallon distilled for every 3 gallons of tap or something like that. Just got to keep it consistent.

3: Use rain water the same way you would with distilled water.

4: If you have some live plants you could setup some DIY co2 its easy and costs about $5-10ish. This will add co2 and lower your pH a bit. It also helps to prevent some algae growth.

5: Just keep using tap water and hope for the best. Try to do as little water changes as possible so the tanic acid can build up in the tank. Just keep your nitrates at 10 or below. The rummies will hopefully adapt to the high pH, but may never be truly happy. You may want to consider some african cichlids or other fish that like a high pH and some extra water hardness. May make it easier for you.

Can you tell me a good DIY co2 setup? I have no idea how that works.

RO/di thing is a future purchase because I am planning to go salt in this tank and move the fresh inhabitants to a 30 gallon, main reason I wanted tetras. They are small and will work in a 30 and they are really pretty.

My nitrates are pretty much always 20-80. I've got live plants to try and help reduce them. The trates are in my tap (40-80ppm) so water changes don't reduce them, unless they were really high which I haven't seen higher than 40-80 (I can't tell the difference between the two.)

I'd like GBR's but I think I'm going to have to accept the fact that my tank will probably never be 6.5 pH.

I live in a desert... Rain doesn't come often...


Woe is me. Woe is me.

Maybe I will try the co2 option first.

The Rummies I have left are doing good though. Staying strong! Fed them a little bit of frozen bloodworms tonight. They enjoyed them.

View attachment 87091

 

[Alkane]

I hope you use a brita filter for drinking water, lol. Yah plants will like those nitrates. If I were you I would just go a head and invest in the RO/DI then you can have rams and a saltwater tank.

Here is a good source for DIY co2 it may seem a little complicated, but just use it as a source to answer extra questions that may come up.

DIY CO2 System for Planted Aquarium


Here is a quick and dirty guide from memory, lol

I would start with one bottle (I like 2 liter soda bottles) then you can add more bottles for more co2 if needed. Drill a hole in the cap slightly smaller than air line tubing.

Cut the tubing to a point and pull it through or buy some rigid tubing and silicone it through the hole in the bottle cap.

Then buy some bakers yeast and a bunch of sugar at the grocery store. Mix water (a little above room temp) with the yeast, stir occasionally for 10-30 mins.

Meanwhile add 2 cups of sugar to your 2 liter. Then fill it up with warm water. Let the water cool to around 75 degrees F. Shake. Add the activated yeast. Shake

Screw on the cap and connect the out going airline tube to a power filter in the tank.

The yeast converts the sugar into co2 and alcohol.

This was just a brief intro, but it will work. There are much BETTER methods that you can find just googling around. You don't want to contaminate your brew so there are some tricks you can find like boiling your sugar water first. Just never get your yeast in hot water or they will die. I think 80 degrees F is the max.

 

[Bearchumjs]

I hope you use a brita filter for drinking water, lol. Yah plants will like those nitrates. If I were you I would just go a head and invest in the RO/DI then you can have rams and a saltwater tank.

Here is a good source for DIY co2 it may seem a little complicated, but just use it as a source to answer extra questions that may come up.

DIY CO2 System for Planted Aquarium

Here is a quick and dirty guide from memory, lol

I would start with one bottle (I like 2 liter soda bottles) then you can add more bottles for more co2 if needed. Drill a hole in the cap slightly smaller than air line tubing.

Cut the tubing to a point and pull it through or buy some rigid tubing and silicone it through the hole in the bottle cap.

Then buy some bakers yeast and a bunch of sugar at the grocery store. Mix water (a little above room temp) with the yeast, stir occasionally for 10-30 mins.

Meanwhile add 2 cups of sugar to your 2 liter. Then fill it up with warm water. Let the water cool to around 75 degrees F. Shake. Add the activated yeast. Shake

Screw on the cap and connect the out going airline tube to a power filter in the tank.

This was just a brief intro, but it will work. There are much BETTER methods that you can find just googling around. You don't want to contaminate your brew so there are some tricks you can find like boiling your sugar water first. Just never get your yeast in hot water or they will die. I think 80 degrees F is the max.

How long will a bottle of that last before you have to redo it?

That sounds so simple. When you say add it to a power filter does that just mean have it set up so that the end of the tube goes into the filter unit where the water is? And do I need to have a filter pad in the filter or can it just run water with no pad?

 

[Austrent]

When I first got mine there couloir was almost gone. After a few days the color came back but they were at the back of the tank. After getting more( having a total of 12) they we much more settled and happier. Also thanks for the chart I was unaware of the differences. Here in Australia I have only seen the variety with the red running down there back!

 

[Alkane]

How long will a bottle of that last before you have to redo it?

That sounds so simple. When you say add it to a power filter does that just mean have it set up so that the end of the tube goes into the filter unit where the water is? And do I need to have a filter pad in the filter or can it just run water with no pad?

It is fairly simple. You have to change it ever 2 weeks, but you can use wine yeast to make the co2 production last longer (higher alcohol). There are also nutrients you can add to keep your yeast healthy which will get you more efficient co2. If you use nutrients then you can just pour off the alcohol and add only 1 cup of sugar with water.

As far as the filter goes yah the end of the tubing should be near the filter intake so the co2 bubbles get chopped up by the impeller. You can just have it set underneath or drill into the intake tube and attach it that way. The pad won't make a difference and it won't harm your BB.

 

[Bearchumjs]

So I just turned the lights off. Then I was curious about their color. After 5 mins I turned them back on and one guy had only a light blush and the other guy had a darker pink orange. Weird...

I seriously think I may be stressing too much over this...

And then i thought my zebra nerite snail in my 5 gal. was dead! I don't think he is. Hopefully he will be in a different spot later so I don't have to worry about him anymore.

 

[Bearchumjs]

It is fairly simple. You have to change it ever 2 weeks, but you can use wine yeast to make the co2 production last longer (higher alcohol). There are also nutrients you can add to keep your yeast healthy which will get you more efficient co2. If you use nutrients then you can just pour off the alcohol and add only 1 cup of sugar with water.

As far as the filter goes yah the end of the tubing should be near the filter intake so the co2 bubbles get chopped up by the impeller. You can just have it set underneath or drill into the intake tube and attach it that way. The pad won't make a difference and it won't harm your BB.

I have the perfect old tetra 5-10 gal filter I can drill a hole into... Next weeks project!!

 

[Bearchumjs]

Ok- so what is this pH? 7.8? It definitely lighter than last nights.

 

[Bearchumjs]

Here's tonight's pH.

The rummy noses are doing good. I got 5 male cobra endlers for my 5 gal tank and they were in the same tank as the ghost shrimp... You know what happened? I got 5 shrimp and drip acclimated them for an hour and put the in the tank of death- I mean 55 gal with my Rummies. I couldn't help myself! They are all 5 doing well and they really like blood worms. I thought they'd eat any food the 2 Rummies don't get. It's hard to feed just 2 fish without over feeding.

 

[Chronos313]

I'd say about 8.0 I'm wondering why it's staying so high or even raising. When did you do a water change last? What dechlorinator do you use?

 

[Bearchumjs]

I'd say about 8.0 I'm wondering why it's staying so high or even raising. When did you do a water change last? What dechlorinator do you use?

I did a 15 gal pwc on Wednesday. I use API water conditioner. I added peat moss to the filters wednesday. I added 2 small pieces of Molani DW yesterday.

My tap is testing 7.8 or so.

I'm planning on setting up a DIY co2 next week.

 

[Chronos313]

Hmmm try Doing 30 gallons, maybe try prime, I use another brand but I'm outside on my iPod on my wifi lol I'll check when I get back inside

 

[Bearchumjs]

Hmmm try Doing 30 gallons, maybe try prime, I use another brand but I'm outside on my iPod on my wifi lol I'll check when I get back inside

I can get some prime. Can you help me understand why doing 30 gallons would help?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Did I miss something? Why are you trying to lower your pH?

 

[Bearchumjs]

Did I miss something? Why are you trying to lower your pH?

I would feel better if it were a little lower. I'd like to get gbr's. And I'm afraid any fish I put in there will die. I don't know. My husband says to just leave it alone. I know fish can adapt to a higher pH but I'd like for it to be lower. Should I just leave it alone?

 

[Chronos313]

Ya just thinking to myself let it lower naturally that way your fish don't get shocked by the large decrease. But prime is a far superior conditioner. I use nutrafin aqua plus

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I would feel better if it were a little lower. I'd like to get gbr's. And I'm afraid any fish I put in there will die. I don't know. My husband says to just leave it alone. I know fish can adapt to a higher pH but I'd like for it to be lower. Should I just leave it alone?

I agree with your husband. Lol. Leave it be. Seriously your just going to keep stressing over it and cause fluctuations stressing the fish. I have rummies living at pH 8 at the moment and harlequin rasboras, that apparently need it in the 6s, at 7.8. It's true! They can adapt and be happy and healthy.