5 replies to this topic

[samlucido]

I'm trying to set up a tank for sunfish. 65 gallon with 650 GPM of biowheel treatment. I started with RO water and so far have added crushed coral to get the KH up to 5 but the pH is between 7.8 and 8.0.

I plan to add Jungle Val and Amazon Sword.

NH3/NH4= 0,

N02=0 and

NH3=5ppm.

I added biocycle booster and 6 feeder goldfish to get the biocycle going.

 

Am I correct in assuming I still need to get the KH up and the pH down? I know that the crushed coral will elevate pH. But I don't want to add "pH Neutral" because of the added phosphate.

 

suggestions?

[gerald]

No.  Crushed coral dissolves slowly as it is "needed" to neutralize acid (produced by bacteria that decompose fish waste), so the coral alone should keep your water in the 7.0 to 8.0 pH range which should be fine for most sunfish.  It will also add small amounts of Ca and Mg (GH hardness) as it dissolves, which fish and plants will need.  Just curious - why did you start with RO water?

[samlucido]

I understood that RO water was important to start with due to purity.
So do I need to get the KH up and the pH down?

[Michael Wolfe]

No, you did not need RO for a freshwater native aquarium.  No, you do not need to change your pH further... many places in the US have water in the 7-8 range.

 

I dont measure KH so cannot speak to that.

[gerald]

Many fish keepers who have very soft tap water, with GH and KH around 3 degrees (50 mg/L) or less, just rely or crushed coral or aragonite, either on the tank bottom or in a filter, to provide both pH buffering (KH) and Ca/Mg hardness (GH).  No RO water and no other added chemicals, except maybe salt for newly collected or stressed fish, and tree leaves for the ones that like tannin-stained waters.

[samlucido]

Thanks