Jalo reef

[Fisheggs]

Out of curiosity Buccal, what do you keep your water parameters at? i.e. KH/GH/PH and water temperature?

[Buccal]

KH 13

GH 14

PH don't bother checking as its a stable outcome keeping KH GH at these high levels,, but likely ph is 8.4-8.6.

Temp 27'c

Water changes automatically occur in increments very two hours. (Scheme water.)

I dose a home made buffer salts everyday after feeding when carbonates depletion is at its highest.

Homemade buffer salts,,, Sodium bicarbonate,, Magnesium sulphate,, calcium chloride,, potassium chloride.

Bore water is low in KH and GH but has trace elements,,, so I dose bore water into system every week or two.

[Skippy]

Increments of ph is not how most people think it is,,,,,, a ph of 7 compared to a ph 8,,, the ph of 8 can be 7-10 x more stronger than the ph of 7.

Most people think pH is a linear scale (like temperature) but it is a logarithmic scale so a pH of 8 is exactly 10 times more alkaline than a pH of 7, a pH of 9 is 100 times more alkaline than a pH of 7.

[PlecoSam]

PH is also temperature dependant.

[sam.apo]

Ok so i added 6 teaspoons the first night ..instructions were 1-4teaspoons /38L . A minimal dose.. and 30 mls of the hardness liquid i think its instructions were 1ml/10 about so about half dose .. tested ph approx 24hrs after.. no change..ph 7.2-7.4 added another 6 teaspoons of continuum. .last night checked ph this morning same ph 7.2-7.4 so i added another 30 mls hardness liquid .. about an hour later checked ph it jumped into purple colour i think it was about 7.8-8.. ill check again later tonight .. but i hope it hasn't jumped up 2 fast

[Buccal]

You should have a KH GH test kit,,,, get it to 10-13 KH.

Don't bother with ph,, unless you test ph after you get KH correct.

Stable perameters is the key,,,,, buuuuut I find some people get over the top, it's the long term constant average that needs stability.

A very occasional sudden change is fine.

Reason being ????,,,,, cichlids in the rift lake only live in 5-10% of the lake (the very outside shallow edges),, where it's oxygenated.

The deep parts get deep fast and doesnt hold much oxygen.

Seasonal weather sees intense rain run off hit the shore line edges of the lake where the fish live,,,, and yes you guessed it, incredible chemistry fluctuations a few times a year.

Back on track, Definetely get a GH KH test kit and go from there.

Remember that there two things at play that deplete your carbonates (KH) in your tank.

1. Loss through water changes.

2. Beneficial Bacteria(bb), consumes/depletes carbonates as part of the process of the nitrogen cycle (ammonia into nitrite into nitrate).

Think of number 2 as yourself eating steak the same as bb eating ammonia.

You like to have a nice serve of your favorite sauce with your steak.

Well bb like to have carbonates with their ammonia.

Ammonia = steak.

Carbonates = sauce.

Hope it's getting clearer for you.

But again, test KH,,,, not PH till way later.

[sam.apo]

On the far left is this morning. .middle is after adding the buffer liquid midday today ..on the right is 11pm.. i will get a gh/kh test kit tomorrow

[Buccal]

Yeah your ph won't be all that stable till you have added treatment to stabilize a constant reading of required KH GH.

Don't buy litmus paper test kit,,,,, get the liquid and vial kit.

[sam.apo]

Is there supposed to be a colour chart with this

[sam.apo]

Kh 6 drops

Gh 12 drops

[intangcity]

any driftwood in the tank?

[Buccal]

Ok, now we know your position on the tank.

Now do a test on your water source (tap water) and let us know................

If your tap water is similar to tank water, then your KH is way low.

Then add the buffer that adjusts KH to tank till you reach 12 drops (KH 12).

The GH is fine to leave.

But for now, we need your water source test results

[sam.apo]

Kh 3 drops

Gh6 drops

[sam.apo]

No driftwood in the tank, i dont like the look of it

[Link2Hell]

that kH reading is about what I would expect with Sydney tapwater

low carbonate and low alkaline pH

I usually add 1/4 teaspoon of buffer to 20 litres with the water changes

[Buccal]

Ok,,, all your results/numbers actually add up and make sense, so you seem to be testing correctly.

Meaning: originally the new water being put into tank has a low reading of 3KH and 6KH.

But the large limestone chunks is steering the KH and mainly the GH values upwards,,, and for limestone chunks it's working considerably as the KH and GH is at a low saturation point (concentration wise) to begin with.

Disolve rate is faster when the KH GH values are low to begin with as the factor is in play (exhaustion).

So now the job must be finished using buffers.

So, add a teaspoon of buffer (not tablespoon), and test half hour later,,,,, repeat this sequence till your KH reaches 12-13.

Test following day to ensure measurements are correct.

Now, with the number of teaspoons taken to get correct KH, you divide by 3 if you do 1/3 water changes or, divide by 2 if you do 50% water changes.

This calculated figure is the amount after each water change.

Test water fortnightly for a while to begin to make sure your on track,,, if your readings are always correct, then this is your new calculated regime,,,,, if your readings are drifting of, then a little bit of educated enginuity guess work of a little less or more buffer will get it all on track.

This post your reading is the important one, so save this post for you to refer to incase it's not fully clicking for you.

[sam.apo]

Which one of these will buffer kh?

The continuum salts says it will raise gh then use a kh buffer ..the hardness up bottle just says will raise hardness not specifically referring to gh or kh..

[sam.apo]

[Buccal]

Don't get confused with a lot of products.

I think you just have Cichlid salts which is just along side of elements which are added to imitate lakes composition.

Conditioner just detoxes heavy metals and ammonia and nitrite and nitrates and other things like chlorine.

You need a product that specifically says BUFFER,,, Malawi or riftlake buffer.

GH is general hardness which is total hardness of all things that contribute to hardness.

KH is carbonate hardness and this is a little part of the GH which requires a seperate test agent to show the KH only.

It's the KH (carbonates), that buffers your water and nothing else when it comes to buffering (stabilizing) the PH.

Seachem Malawi buffer is strong and concentrated and not much is needed so don't think its that expensive.

[Link2Hell]

Aquasonic KH generator, Seachem Malawi/Victoria buffer (I use this one 1 level teaspoon to 40-80 lt

per day till you get the correct reading)

but like Buccal says it needs to work carbonate hardness and read that

[sam.apo]

Ok thanks guys, going to the fish shop to get a buffer..a different shop 2 the 1 that sold me the last lot.. any idea why they would sell me the salts and the hardness up.

Sounds like they do a similar thing.. just the salts has more lake replicating electrolytes /minerals in it..although the hardeness up bottle doesn't list ingredients.. i asked the guy at the shop to test gh&kh and i will need whatever it is to bring the levels of gh & kh up..

[sam.apo]

[sam.apo]

This fish seems to be the only one effected by the water changes being made.he doesn't usually sit on the bottom of the tank..

[Buccal]

Most shops that sell fish just don't have a clue with the sciences.

They have bottles of stuff that says for Malawi or rift lake. (could be for anything).

Mainly specialist shops have the knowledge.

You should only be water changing weekly.

A matured tank with a matured filter (beneficial bacteria), becomes capable of the needed biological process to keep your fish alive,,,,,, after 3-4 weeks from being newly set up.

Therefore a tank in action should read levels of nitrates.

Your nitrate readings show zero, which may tell a tale of your filtration not in working mode yet as your system may be new.

Have you been water changing excessively to keep your water clear being a new tank ???????

[sam.apo]

1-2 weeks i change maybe 20-30% tank has been running for about 6 months started with bacteria and cycled for about 3-4 weeks i have macropore & phosphate pad in sump crused coral and about 3 layers of different wools ..a guy at the shop today told me gh is not important with cichlids that only kh is important i got a kh powderto go in the tank its 1 teaspoon too 100l i think... i will slowly start adding that over the next few days