Ph...

[james_fish]

Okay so in my tank I have Rams, mainly the reason why I bought peat slugs to lower the pH. And great it works brilliant, slight tint in the water but looks nice. pH standing at 6.2

2 days ago I put some rock in, not stacked but a decent amount. Im sure its volcanic rock. Now, BAM pH is like a 7.8! Not only is this unsuitable for the Rams, but its so sudden and high change may cause stress in the tank, although none has been shown yet and the fish (including the Rams) are eating frozen food very enthusiastically.

What shall I do, im worried I will have to remove the rocks
Any other recommendations?
Also are the API master test kits accurate?
Thanks James.

 

[kaivalagi]

I'm no expert but I think you should remove the rock ASAP and try to get the pH back down with a big water change or two and addition peat slugs, rams won't tolerant that high a pH I dont think.

The rock you bought sounds like it is an ideal type for african cichlids etc by not for SA's...I'd find a substitute such as granite/slate etc which will not affect pH.

 

[james_fish]

Sh*t, I was hoping you would not say that. But fair enough, its for the fish.
I kinda thought it would raise pH, but I didn't expect it to fight against the peat slugs.

Thanks, James.

 

[james_fish]

Rock removed, shame really. Was very attractive.

Could I ask what would be a suitable replacement.
Something attractive, provides cover and potential breeding sites? Without affecting pH

Thanks again, James.

 

[kaivalagi]

My comments are all best guesses I am making btw, I haven't ever been in your situation and am going on theory.....but I doubt if you left that rock in and kept the pH high that your fish would bode well!


What rams are they, I should have asked, if they are german blue rams then pH must be kept low, if bolivians they're more tolerable but 7.8 is still a bit high....I am a bit concerned about the quick pH change being more of a risk in the short term though...you really should have researched on the rock first, hind sight is a great thing though...I feel for you!

Have you done a water change yet to try and get the pH down again? Added more fresh peat slugs too to help move it quicker?


On the decor front the easiest is to get some slate and the granite blocks that homebase/B&Q sell, and build a cave or 2 that way, alternatively get some irregular shaped granite or the larger pebble/boulders and stack them up etc for a more natural look.

I am not happy with my rock setup which uses the granite blocks, slate and some nice shaped granite pieces, but take a look at my current tank journal, some pics in thier of what is there right now...it's not very natural looking but functional and pH neutral...I do have more granite rocks sitting in a box awaiting for a rescape...but am in no hurry cause what I have is working right now.

You would go wrong with a nice piece of bogwood or two...they provide cover and if they do affect pH it will be in the right direction for your setup.

Hope that helps

 

[james_fish]

Yes they are BG Ram, I should have stated. And I trust your knowledge, its kinda what I thought but I wanted to be sure.
Im going to go and test my water now and do a water change. I can't add any more peat slugs as the filter capacity has been filled.
I already have a piece of bogwood in there. I soaked it several times so the tannings are out. Its still nice for the shark to graze on though.
I was thinking maybe slate as a replacement or granite. I might make a trip to an LFS if I get time tomorrow.

Thanks again, James.

 

[kaivalagi]

No probs, glad I could help.

I recommend first going to your local garden center, homebase or B&Q, just to know what they have got and what it will cost before going to the LFS...the LFS will charge a fortune for potentially something you can find a lot cheaper elsewhere

Slate alone might be awkward to setup nicely, depends on what pieces you find I guess, some long and thin, others short and fat would work together...

 

[PDSimon]

Petrified wood is fairly cheap and very nice looking (aswell as inert from what I've read..)

May I ask how you used the peat slugs? where you sourced them from/how many you used ect

 

[kaivalagi]

May I ask how you used the peat slugs? where you sourced them from/how many you used ect

I knew you'd turn up with that question! If peat slugs bring down pH 7.8 to something good for GBR then you'll know what is needed

 

[PDSimon]

May I ask how you used the peat slugs? where you sourced them from/how many you used ect

I knew you'd turn up with that question! If peat slugs bring down pH 7.8 to something good for GBR then you'll know what is needed

Cheers! I didn't realise you were using them? I plan on testing them once the tank has matured a bit so I can maybe look into other projects...

 

[kaivalagi]

May I ask how you used the peat slugs? where you sourced them from/how many you used ect

I knew you'd turn up with that question! If peat slugs bring down pH 7.8 to something good for GBR then you'll know what is needed

Cheers! I didn't realise you were using them? I plan on testing them once the tank has matured a bit so I can maybe look into other projects...

I don't use them if the questions for me

Can't "test" with fish in (not ideally anyway) and you'll want fish in as soon as the cycle is complete right? Maybe you could put a few slugs into the filter every other day or something to gradually affect pH with fish that aren't so sensitive?

 

[james_fish]

I got mine from eBay for like £2.00 or something. They worked really good.
All you do is put them in the filter basket and over time they like melt into a mushy form.
Like I previously said they tint the water slightly but it's not too bad you know, mine just looks a bit worse because my 200 litre is right next to a crystal clear 60 litre.

James.

 

[kaivalagi]

I have tannins in my main tank from the bogwood, so I have the same yellowish tint I suspect...I like it, it looks more Amazonian, ideal for the Sa's I have

 

[james_fish]

I've got a nice re-generation project planned for my 200Litre

Im after some Rock, an air pump for extra oxygen. I also want a plain black background, and more fish!
Im even considering an external filter to get those two U4's out of my tank!
I want to plant my bogwood aswell

James.

 

[kaivalagi]

An air pump is a waste of time for getting oxygen up btw, it is only really a decoration...this is not just me talking, ask the question and see what the general consensus is.

The best way to get oxygen levels in a nice place is to agitate the surface of the water, lots of movement and ripples on the surface will enable gas exchange and release CO2 and re-integrate O2...you'd be better spending money on a cheap powerhead or a replacement external filter with a spraybar than an air pump for this.

I can't recommend the tetratec filters enough, I use 2 x ex1200's on my 5ft tank and they're great, I also use Hydor Eth external heaters...all I have in the tank are in and out pipes Take a look at my tank journal to see what I mean, link in my sig.