To drip, or not to drip...

axs377

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Last week I placed an order for a 320gallon aquarium. I won't get it for another 6-8 weeks due to build times, so I've been planning other components. I've designed my wet/dry filter for the system and due to finances I was thinking of either adding a drip system ~40 - 60 gallons a day or a higher end UV unit... well not high end, but in the $500 range. My preference would be the drip, but I have a few concerns that I was hoping you all could give me some ideas on, or let me know that the drip may not be the best route.
The tank is a lake Tanganyika set up, therefore I want to maintain a high ph (over 8.0). My concern is my tap water is about 7.4ph and I was concerned having it constantly dripping in would keep the ph lower than I would want. Right now I have a 125 setup with a store bought cichlid substrate (crushed shells, etc) and it is holding around 8.3-8.5 just from the substrate. I am not currently adding salts, but plan on doing so once they are delivered as I have read that the fish from the lake will show better coloration. My thought was once a week just dosing with salts and a little baking soda based on some calculations of dilution. I'm not sure though how well this will work and I don't want constantly fluctuating water conditions.

So with that said, if I forgo the drip, my plan would be just to do weekly 50% water changes and add a UV unit like the aqua 57watt. Your thoughts? Especially from anyone who has to buffer their water for their fish.
 

HarleyK

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Drip and a Chemilizer injector pump to condition your water as it comes out of your faucet. Or drip and add a peristaltic pump such as Eshopp IV 200 to dose additives throughout the day.

Either way, I wouldn't want to live without my drip...


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axs377

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hmm, never heard of a chemilizer injector pump...After looking at that I think that may fit the bill for what I want
 

DIDYSIS

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I think to many people get caught up with having the perfect PH for a certain type of fish, I bet your fish would live plenty happy in a PH of 7.4. Why not forget trying to make the ph perfect 8.0 and just keep it really stable with the drip?

huge drip fan here by the way, Drip or nothing in my book
 

celebrist

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I can't wait to remodel my living room so I can install a drip system, the wife said no to water lines across the house :(
 

Dieselhybrid

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I think to many people get caught up with having the perfect PH for a certain type of fish, I bet your fish would live plenty happy in a PH of 7.4. Why not forget trying to make the ph perfect 8.0 and just keep it really stable with the drip?

huge drip fan here by the way, Drip or nothing in my book
Agreed, keep it stable. Much more important than a magic number
 

axs377

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I would normally agree just having a stable pH is the most important thing, but in the past I've breed WC and f1 Zaire gibberosa and found that without a high enough pH and GH I had very little activity going on.
 

ragin_cajun

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Like Didysis said -- drip. definitely drip. It takes a little while to see the results, but there are definitely results. Fish get big and mean in a tank with a drip. I've heard Asian breeders don't use any filtration at all, just a steady flow of lots of new water.
 

axs377

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Of yeah, you guys have convinced me to drip. I'm just going to add a dosing pump to the setup to drip a little buffer of baking soda and salts.
 

HarleyK

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:thumbsup: all the best, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!
 
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