Newbie Setup Blackwater Pros Welcome

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
If the pH doesnt lower with Prime, Kents Black Water, & run ketapeat nuggets, how am I going to prep water for weekly water changes? This blackwater is being more difficult than I thought.

With the initial setup, do you think I should use biospira and some feeder fish just to get it started? Also, do you have a link to biospira, couldnt find all that much on it.
 
Prime will not lower pH. Peat, wood, Keatapeat nuggets and Kent BW will lower the pH. Regarding Biospira, I would do the following: Set up the aquarium (no carbon), get it running and add the fish. Feed the fish for 2-3 days (to accumulate some ammonia) and then add the Biospira. Monitor the ammonia and nitrites. I don't think you need the goldfish. Biospira is sold by Marineland. A blackwater setup should not be difficult, but I think you'll have to wait for your tank to mature and begin to acidiy naturally until you attain the desired pH.
 
Im thinking I should also get Marc Weiss Instant Amazon to throw in the mix to help me. Why is pHdown so bad? Everyone says not to use it, wont it lower my ph instantly.
 
Also found this on Purigen
"Not to be used with any products with slime coat in them, this can cause the product to become toxic."
Doesn't prime help the slime coat on fish, or does this mean something else?
 
If your fish are healthy their slime coats will be fine and you don't have to try to improve upon nature by adding conditioners which claim to augment the slime coat. Incidentally, Prime is a dechlorinator and to the best of my knowledge, has no reactivity with the slime coat. Try to keep your tank chemistry as simple as possible. You don't need Instant Amazon.

Regarding "pH Down", I believe that this is phosphoric acid. The only problem that I can imagine is that this will lace your water with phosphate, which will encourage algal growth. You could, conceivably add vinegar (dilute acetic acid) or even citric acid to lower the pH, but I really don't think you'll need this once your tank matures. Most of us are fighting acidification in our established tanks.
 
You do not need to use either carbon or Purigen. They will be overwhelmed by your blackwater additives. You filter should contain only mechanical media (foam/polyester pads), biomedia (Ehfisubstrat Pro..for example) and the peat nuggets (if you elect to add them to the filter)...period. Bear in mind that the organic contaminants that would be removed by both carbon and Purigen are consumed by the beneficial bacteria as a acarbon source. They will metabolize and remove these contaminants.
 
hmm yea true I guess the purigen is unnecessary for what im trying to recreate. oh, and I dont have peacock bass yet, thats why I was asking should I use feeders or some cheap fish w/the biospira to cycle. I might even just catch a small large mouth to put in
 
I saw a post where one of the memebers used fallen oak leaves in his tank, I imagine with all the tannins released this would acidify your water quite well and give you the blackwater conditions you are looking for.
 
yea the ketapeat will act as the oak.

Just out of curiousity I did my strip dip test in the lake and its the same as the tap water. I'm gonna test some purified or distilled(which is cleaner?) water to see if these tests are BS or what.
 
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