Help needed

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aquaman1620

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 24, 2022
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Hello,
I have a 7 feet aquarium with oscars in it. I am thinking of installing 2 sunsun canister filters to it. Now do i need to regularly add sodium bicarbonate to increase the alkalinity??
 
Is your pH desperately low? Like a 5? I wouldn't mess with your pH otherwise. Oscars are comfortable in a wide range of pH. Whatever your tapwater is, it would be best to stick with that.

If you DO need to increase your pH, I would not use sodium bicarbonate. Better to add something like crushed coral to your filters or substrate. The crushed coral will constantly and slowly buffer your pH, so you don't have any wild swings in water perimeters.
 
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BigBeardDaHuZi said:
Is your pH desperately low? Like a 5? I wouldn't mess with your pH otherwise. Oscars are comfortable in a wide range of pH. Whatever your tapwater is, it would be best to stick with that.

If you DO need to increase your pH, I would not use sodium bicarbonate. Better to add something like crushed coral to your filters or substrate. The crushed coral will constantly and slowly buffer your pH, so you don't have any wild swings in water perimeters.
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Thank you for your reply. I have not installed the filter yet. I have just purchased two canister filters. While reading I found in the biological filter, the bacteria utilize alkalinity to remove ammonia and they will not function well if alkalinity is low. So I just had a question on whether I should add something to increase alkalinity.
 
Midwater said:
It seems as though you have got quite fixed ideas (right or wrong) about filtration.
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No hard feelings here. It does not matter if I have got any ideas or not. Just new to the hobby and have a genuine question. It would be helpful if you could guide me here since you seem to know quite a bit.
 
Backfromthedead said:
I would not worry about adjusting ph for filter efficiency.

Is there a certain type of media you're looking at that's suggesting it works better in alkaline water?
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Sorry, think I was not clear when posting this thread. When the bacteria develop in the bio media in the canister filter, they utilize oxygen and alkalinity (inorganic carbon). So is it necessary to increase the alkalinity for the bacteria to work properly. This is the first time I am using a filtration with recirculating water, so I am confused on how the system works. Before I just used to exchange water weekly. Thanks....
 
aquaman1620 said:
Sorry, think I was not clear when posting this thread. When the bacteria develop in the bio media in the canister filter, they utilize oxygen and alkalinity (inorganic carbon). So is it necessary to increase the alkalinity for the bacteria to work properly. This is the first time I am using a filtration with recirculating water, so I am confused on how the system works. Before I just used to exchange water weekly. Thanks....
Click to expand...

I don't think carbon would be the limiting reactant in the deammonifying processes you're suggesting. As long as your system is properly aerated through surface agitation or airstones your water should contain a sufficient level of dissolved CO2 for your bacteria colonies. If anything, supplemental aeration would be helpful if you're stocking large cichlids.

Ime, your filters efficiency will adjust to your stocking level, feeding routine, fishes growth and metabolism, and most importantly maintenance on the filter and tank itself.

In short, no, I would not make an attempt to increase alkalinity in your tank. Aside from having little effect on your bio filter, oscars are naturally from slightly acidic environments and it's theorized that prolonged exposure to hard, alkaline aquarium water leads to health problems.
 
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