buffering (carbonate hardness) is 0!!! Please help!!!

[[email protected]]

I've just setup a new aquarium (29 gl, flourite and a few plants, 55W
CF). My water tests look a little wierd: the carbonate hardness is 0,
while total hardness is 120 with pH 6.8 or 7 (I can't decide which
color fits better). So, I assume, that the only hardness I have is
non-carbonate.

1. Does non-carbonate hardness contribute to buffereing against pH
fluctuations?

2. Is it even possible to have 0 alkalinity?

I am afraid to introduce fish until the water is fully conditioned.
I've checked the local stores for buffer increase - all chemicals
concentrate on adjusting pH, while I am quite happy wih mine: I would
like to keep tetras, danios, loaches, ottos (and/or) and live plants.

3. Can you recomend what exactly I should be looking for?

4. My chlorine measured .5 (no chloramine) Is it safe? Should I
dechlorinize?

5. All dechlorinizers that I see also try to take care of nitrates,
ammonia, etc. I would love to have a bio filter established and
control those by balance, not by cheistry. Should I use it anyway to
should I keep looking for something specific for chlorine (if it
exists)?

6. If I have so much non-carbonate hardness, it is probably sulfate or
phosphate. Should I control those? I am conserned that since I have
very few plants, it is going to promote algae growth (my tap water
initially comes with nitrates 20)

Please help! Thanks in advance,
Elly

[MrHappy]

Hi Elly

You seem to be a little confused or, I am misreading your post

I don't believe it is possible to control water quality thru
chemicals - "better living through chemistry" is popular but
doesn't really work

Get the bio filter working first 3-4 weeks will do the trick as
long as you are very lightly stocking the tank

0 carbonate hardness is something I have never seen - where is
the water coming from and, how old is the test kit?

You need to choose fish that match your water, chemically
changing water is a complicated task and tends to be a battle
that is very hard to win especially with small systems -
changing and holding 300 galls in a stable manner is much easier
than doing the same for 30 galls

Soft neutral water gives you lots of opportunity

All chlorine/chloramine is bad - I always use a water
conditioner.

If you want to add some carbonate hardness, after you have
checked your test results, you can add some coral sand to the
substrate - that will do the trick

Your water seems to have a fair bit of nitrate, as a starting
point, 20ppm is quite high and you will benefit from nitrate
absorption pads or a denitfifying filter-lots of plants will
help to use up the nitrate and phosphate

Light + nitrate/phosphate = algae. I suggest a plec that stays
SMALL - to eat the algae (you will need to feed it to with
sinking algae wafers and they like a bit of wood to rasp

The aqau companies love people to keep buying stuff to treat
water but IMHO you are much better going with the flow - work
out what your water is like with a new test kit and then build a
biotrope that meets what you can deliver - teh only thing i use
is a water conditioner in case the water co has treated the
supply for some reason


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[[email protected]]

Mr Happy, Thanks a million for your reply! "Confused" - is a perfect
definition.

Chemistry: would LOVE to do things naturally, rather then experiment
with comercial chemicals. So you think that it is safe for me to get
1-2 sturdy sof****er fish (is danio a good choice?) and let the
nitrogen cycle adjust the water conditions naturally? I am very
concerned that such low buffering capacity might provocate a pH jump...

Test kit: purchased it just a few weeks ago, but I would take your
advice and invest into another kit just to compare the results.

I am thinking of getting an otto to control the algae, once danios will
cycle the tank (I am concerned, that plecos will grow to large for my
aquarium). Do you think it is safe to add such delicate fish right
after 2 danios complete nitrogen cycle (I think I have too few plants
to ease them the process)?

Algae: my plants are steadily getting covered with Brown algae over the
last few days, that also confuses me, since I leave my 55W CF for at
least 12-14 hours a day (I haven't had a chance to get a timer yet),
and my water is so soft. Baensch says that brown algae is caused by
low lighting and hard water... that doesn't seem like my case. Is it
a normal "new tank" process?

Plants: I would love to add more, but the selection in my local
petsmart is pathetic. I truly hope the ones I've got will survive,
though I picked the healthiest looking specimens. If I see new plants
in a store, should I wait until nitrogen cycle is complete, or should I
add them anyway?

Chlorine: purchased Seachem chlorine/chloramine/nitrite/nitrate remover
- tried adding it this morning, will measure the results tonight after
work.

Looking forward for more answers! Thanks!!!

[George Pontis]

In article . com>,
says...
> Mr Happy, Thanks a million for your reply! "Confused" - is a perfect
> definition.
>
> Chemistry: would LOVE to do things naturally, rather then experiment
> with comercial chemicals. So you think that it is safe for me to get
> 1-2 sturdy sof****er fish (is danio a good choice?) and let the
> nitrogen cycle adjust the water conditions naturally? I am very
> concerned that such low buffering capacity might provocate a pH jump...

Alenka, it is possible to have water that is too soft. For an extreme example, you
would not be able to keep fish (or plants) in distilled water. The suggestion to
use some coral sand is a good one and conservative. This is not akin to the
questionable practice of playing master chemist with pH modifiers at every water
change.

If you later wish to enhance plant growth by supplementing with CO2, you will
probably have to add a buffer more deliberately to keep the pH from dropping too
low. Perhaps a small amount of very finely powdered calcium carbonate.

>
> I am thinking of getting an otto to control the algae, once danios will
> cycle the tank (I am concerned, that plecos will grow to large for my
> aquarium). Do you think it is safe to add such delicate fish right
> after 2 danios complete nitrogen cycle (I think I have too few plants
> to ease them the process)?

The bristle-nose (a.k.a bushy-nose) pleco (ancistrus) does not grow too large and
is well behaved. If you are lucky you will find an outgoing one that is active
during the day. In my experience, all sides of a 37g tank were cleaned within 24
hours and I had to start feed them small Hikari algae wafers. My children found
great amusement to see how long it would take the ancistrus to figure out that an
algae wafer was dropped somewhere in the tank. I don't think 60 seconds ever
passed before she was on to it. The otos are good too but it is said that they are
demanding of high water quality.

[default]

> wrote in message

> Algae: my plants are steadily getting covered with Brown algae over the
> last few days, that also confuses me, since I leave my 55W CF for at
> least 12-14 hours a day (I haven't had a chance to get a timer yet),
> and my water is so soft. Baensch says that brown algae is caused by
> low lighting and hard water... that doesn't seem like my case. Is it
> a normal "new tank" process?

Data point:
I'm just over a month into the cycling process and the nitrate is starting to
build up. I had a brown algae bloom start two weeks ago which slowly covered
all rocks, leaves, glass and hardware that were facing the window in the room.
The ottos have battled it back bravely, leaving tracks in all of it and
decimating most. Now, I have a nice pretty bright green algae starting to
appear on some of the same surfaces.

steve

[[email protected]]

Wow! That's encouraging. Ottos don't eat green algae? Does
ancistrus? If not, who does?

Also, I know that I should have at least 6 fish for a
schooling/shoaling variety, such as danio or tetras, but what about
plecos, ottos? How many of them should I have so that brave algae
eaters to feel comfortable?

[default]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Wow! That's encouraging. Ottos don't eat green algae? Does
> ancistrus? If not, who does?

Got me beat there. I'm still a rookie. Maybe the otto's will start in on the
green when they're done with the brown. My last setup had pleco's and they made
my green tank quite bright in short time.
>
> Also, I know that I should have at least 6 fish for a
> schooling/shoaling variety, such as danio or tetras, but what about
> plecos, ottos? How many of them should I have so that brave algae
> eaters to feel comfortable?

I started with 4 otto's, one got bent and withered in two days, now I think
another has passed on in the big tank. I've only seen two at any given time.
They seem to hang out together, yet operate autonomously.

steve

[Gareth]

Ancistrus will eat the green algae. Other things to consider are saemese
algae eaters, not to be confused with flying foxes and Amano Shrimp. Both
with be as happy as pigs in muck with all the algae


"default" > wrote in message
...
>
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > Wow! That's encouraging. Ottos don't eat green algae? Does
> > ancistrus? If not, who does?
>
> Got me beat there. I'm still a rookie. Maybe the otto's will start in on
the
> green when they're done with the brown. My last setup had pleco's and
they made
> my green tank quite bright in short time.
> >
> > Also, I know that I should have at least 6 fish for a
> > schooling/shoaling variety, such as danio or tetras, but what about
> > plecos, ottos? How many of them should I have so that brave algae
> > eaters to feel comfortable?
>
> I started with 4 otto's, one got bent and withered in two days, now I
think
> another has passed on in the big tank. I've only seen two at any given
time.
> They seem to hang out together, yet operate autonomously.
>
> steve
>
>