CatG

Hello,
I want to set up a discus tank, but am a bit worried about my water parameters. My tap water PH is 7.8, my KH is 2, and my GH is 6. From the reading I have done, it seems like I would have to first raise my KH (which apparently will raise my PH some too), then once the KH is steady, I would have to take steps to lower my PH. This all kinda sounds like a bad idea, because i guess if I get things wrong or forget to do the proper maintenance, I could have large PH spikes/drops. With these parameters, do you think I could successfully change the parameters and have it remain steady?

Do you think discus could become acclimated to a PH of 7.8? I know I can use CO2 to lower that, but on my other tank, the KH dropped down to just about nothing when I ran CO2. (one drop and the color changed, so no real way to test levels that low) I know that my LFS has Discus now and then, and they do not alter the tap water, so I am guessing that their parameters are similar to mine. Although, I have no idea how well the discus actually fare in that water.


Thanks,
Cat

DerekFF

Don't mess with ph. The discus available today are all more than acclimated to normal tap water conditions.

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Silvering

I agree, don't use chemicals to alter your pH, and don't "chase" a number - stability is what counts. Some folks use distilled or RO water to cut their tapwater during water changes; Seachem makes a product to add needed elements back into the pure water.

On the other hand, there are fish species that like harder water, and it's generally easier and cheaper to pick fish to match your water than messing with your water to make the fish happy!

CatG

Thanks for the info! I actually found a discus breeder here in my area that has the same tap water source, and he does not alter the water parameters at all. So, these fish have all been raised in the same water I will be providing them.

But, I do have some other questions, mainly about the "mineralized topsoil" recipe I found. The recipe calls for mineralized topsoil, red pottery clay, dolomite, and muriate of potash (potassium chloride). When i researched the ingredients, they started to sound like something I didn't want to put in my tank. It seems to me that the dolomite (which is to be lightly sprinkled on the bottom of the tank) could possibly raise my PH. Is this true? Another concern is the potassium chloride, which the article I read said was used in lethal injections. Yikes. The recipe calls for this to be sprinkled on the bottom of the aquarium, but from what it sounds like, it doesn't take much of this to kill a person. Should I scrap that recipe and look for another? I don't want to raise my PH any more, but I definitely don't want to give a lethal injection to my fish. lol

Thanks again,
Cat

Silvering

If you inject air into somebody's bloodstream, it will also kill them, but we still put airstones in our tanks, don't we?

Set up the tank and let the plants settle in and start using up the initial nutrient spike and you'll be fine. There's a lot of good threads describing people's dirt tanks and how that affects water chemistry, the stickied threads in the subforums are a good place to start your aquatic research. There's also a new recipe for soil tanks, you can find it here.

Michael

Soil substrate is great for stabilizing water chemistry. The dolomite in MTS probably will not raise pH in your soft water, but it will buffer it, making it more stable and less likely to fluctuate.

Potasium chloride is safe for aquarium use. It is so safe that it is sold as a table salt substitute in the grocery store for people on low-sodium diets.

CatG

Thanks for the info! Now I just need to find the dolomite. Is dolomite lime the same as dolomite?

Thanks again,
Cat

Michael

Yes.

old 97

Take a look @ kaolin
http://www.plainsmanclays.com/data/HELMER.HTM

CatG

Great! Thanks!

Cat