PH problem....solution?

[Just Toby]

do you mean NitrItes? much more deadly.

No, I am talking Nitrates...I am very aware that Nitrite is far more deadly and Ammonia more so that that LOL...I am guessing from your reply that you are one of the ones who feel Nitrate at 100-150ppm is not harmful? (tells himself:....must....not...get in to a DavidW argument.....)

 

[fishman646]

Great thread everyone!! Lots of beneficial information for all of us. I have had the FLU so could not motivate myself to get on here haha. For those that ask my nitrates are below 5ppm out of tap. With the reply I have gotten I guess I am going too just keep doing what I have always done as it doesnt seem to affect my rays or fish. My rays seem to be doing what they need to be doing. EATING, LIVING, GROWING, SWIMMING lol. As for my kh at 10dkh or 160ppm is that an appropriate number,. Its consistent in my tank and my tap. If co2 swings are not harmful like Jose says im fine. I do agree with him and I never have calcium build up or anything so my water cant be 2 hard!

 

[jcardona1]

Great thread everyone!! Lots of beneficial information for all of us. I have had the FLU so could not motivate myself to get on here haha. For those that ask my nitrates are below 5ppm out of tap. With the reply I have gotten I guess I am going too just keep doing what I have always done as it doesnt seem to affect my rays or fish. My rays seem to be doing what they need to be doing. EATING, LIVING, GROWING, SWIMMING lol. As for my kh at 10dkh or 160ppm is that an appropriate number,. Its consistent in my tank and my tap. If co2 swings are not harmful like Jose says im fine. I do agree with him and I never have calcium build up or anything so my water cant be 2 hard!

Yeah that's a very good buffering capacity. Anything over 4-5dkh is considered 'good'. That means you have a big enough "sponge" to absorb the effect of acids or buffers that could cause one of those dangerous "ph swings" (hardness-related).

I think I mentioned this already, but your tank's buffering capacity is used up over time as the 'sponge' fills up. So if you were to go 2-3 months without a water change and tested your kh, it would be much lower, which would have caused your gh and pg to drop as well. And if you then did a big water change, you might cause osmotic shock to your fish.

As you can see, this is why big regular water changes are crucial. They replenish the lost minerals that make up your buffering capacity (kh).

 

[fishman646]

Yeah that's a very good buffering capacity. Anything over 4-5dkh is considered 'good'. That means you have a big enough "sponge" to absorb the effect of acids or buffers that could cause one of those dangerous "ph swings" (hardness-related).

I think I mentioned this already, but your tank's buffering capacity is used up over time as the 'sponge' fills up. So if you were to go 2-3 months without a water change and tested your kh, it would be much lower, which would have caused your gh and pg to drop as well. And if you then did a big water change, you might cause osmotic shock to your fish.

As you can see, this is why big regular water changes are crucial. They replenish the lost minerals that make up your buffering capacity (kh).

Thanks Jose. This is exactly what I thought! Way to relive ALOT of stress haha! I just have never really noticed this fluctuation. I have kept hundreds of species of fish in this water over the last 12+ years and never had a problem. But now that I have $$$$$$ into rays and some very expensive ones at that I just had to figure it out!

 

[DavidW]

No, I am talking Nitrates...I am very aware that Nitrite is far more deadly and Ammonia more so that that LOL...I am guessing from your reply that you are one of the ones who feel Nitrate at 100-150ppm is not harmful? (tells himself:....must....not...get in to a DavidW argument.....)

LOL
nope, I am a perfectionist when it comes to water quality, imo all readings should always be at zero, nitrates 10-20 is acceptable for a while ( except pH NOT at zero LOL)

I think one of the biggest problems too many aquarists have is not understanding the basics, especially the ammonia cycle, but they want to keep rays and other large fish. Essentially trying to run before they can walk.

 

[Tor-Eriik]

Some good articles about water chemistry for those intrested : http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/management/the_water/index.html

I found it to be intresting!

 

[keepinfish]

LOL
nope, I am a perfectionist when it comes to water quality, imo all readings should always be at zero, nitrates 10-20 is acceptable for a while ( except pH NOT at zero LOL)

I think one of the biggest problems too many aquarists have is not understanding the basics, especially the ammonia cycle, but they want to keep rays and other large fish. Essentially trying to run before they can walk.

i have a drip and always try to shoot for nitrates as low as possible. however i have heard Zoodiver and i thought your self say that the water in most LARGE public aquariums are nitrates in the 5-600+ range, and also are extremely high in the wild sometimes.

 

[DavidW]

not me KeepingFish. I would like to see that info. I didn't ( couldn't) take chemical test kits with me to the Amazon , the airlines don't like it. My cameras and pH and Conductivity meters already freaked them out

 

[keepinfish]

not me KeepingFish. I would like to see that info. I didn't ( couldn't) take chemical test kits with me to the Amazon , the airlines don't like it. My cameras and pH and Conductivity meters already freaked them out

ahhh took some looking

Many LARGE systems don't have the ability to do water changes based on percents like small home tanks can do. You think Georgia Aq does a weekly 20% change on the big tank? I've seen nitrates over 800 or 900 with healthy animals in them.
My current ray pool (10,000 gallons) is over 200 right now and doing just fine.

When I kept FW rays at home, it was once every couple of months. But I had enough bacteria going that I didn't need to. It's all about the right balance, and keeping the tanking at the end stage of the cycle... not swinging it all the time with big water changes (which just creates mini cylces in the chemistry).

However i cant find the one where someone tested the natural habitat.

 

[DavidW]

a regular sherlock
LOL
interesting stuff.
I think in the Amazon the plant life would rip the nitrates out pretty quickly given how poor the soil is there.