QT help
- VikingMummy2015
- TOTM Winner
- Posts: 2663
- Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 7:40 am
- Has liked: 845 times
- Been liked: 1818 times
@Martinspuddle it does though. My water is similar and small tanks and cycling tanks use up the kH pretty quick and start eating into the pH within days. 2ppm of ammonia is a lot of bacteria so a lot of carbonates getting used up. I would definitely get away with fewer water changes if I stocked very very lightly, but as it is I’d panic if I went a week without a water change.
240L Fluval Roma with Oase 600 Biomaster: 1 German red bristlenose, 4 male cherry barbs, 6 standard rummynose, 3 golden rummynose tetra, 9 emperor tetra, 14 cardinal tetra, 2 hengeli rasbora, 3 nerite snails, 1 adult Sulawesi snail and multiple juveniles continually appearing.
Parameters: gH2, kH1, pH7.4 (tap).
Fish fiend since October 2017.
Parameters: gH2, kH1, pH7.4 (tap).
Fish fiend since October 2017.
- Martinspuddle
- Forum Jester & TOTM Winner
- Posts: 7036
- Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2019 18:07 pm
- Location: Sceapig
- Has liked: 4220 times
- Been liked: 3888 times
We must have iron water down here in Kent ...doesn't budge!
WARNING - DO NOT BREED, FEED OR PET THE PUDDLE!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Stephen
- Guru Multi TOTM Winner
- Posts: 6016
- Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 15:42 pm
- Location: Hereford, Herefordshire
- Has liked: 1415 times
- Been liked: 3407 times
- Contact:
I have extended family members (mum's cousins) living in Pontypool and Abersychan, not too far (about 35 miles) from my home in Hereford.Fishtank wrote: ↑Sat Apr 03, 2021 14:00 pm I live in torfaen, during fishless cycling my ph drops due to the activity from the BB processing the ammonia. My ph is 7.4 and in my main tank it stays at 7.4 its only when I'm fishless cycling my qt tank that the ph drops to stupidly low levels, sometimes 6. Plankton advised me in my last fishless cycle to add bicarb soda to boost the ph while kt was cycling and it worked a charm
I do come down that area from time to time and visit Cwmbran for shopping as a change.
I agree, if the KH drops then it needs a bit of a boost during the fishless cycle.
I would not personally recommend using bicarbonate of soda (Sodium bicarbonate) due to the Sodium which is not good for fish or plants long-term but should be fine short-term.
I would prefer to use Potassium bicarbonate where the Potassium can be used by the plants.
I believe the KH (carbonate hardness) is just under 2dKH.
To make the pH more stable then a KH value of 4dKH would be needed.
1 teaspoon (5ml) of whichever bicarbonate with raise 200 litres of water by 1dKH or 50L of water by 4dKH.
How big is the QT ?
All the best
425L SeaBray Elite aquarium - Rio Mamoré (Bolivia) theme
4 x Cupid Cichlids, 14 x Cory caudimaculatus, 13 x Cory sterbai 52 x Reed Tetra, 4 x Honeycomb Bristlenose (L519)
Powered by EHEIM
4 x Cupid Cichlids, 14 x Cory caudimaculatus, 13 x Cory sterbai 52 x Reed Tetra, 4 x Honeycomb Bristlenose (L519)
Powered by EHEIM
- plankton
- Super Mod
- Posts: 12206
- Joined: Sun Jan 21, 2018 17:02 pm
- Location: S. Derbyshire
- Has liked: 5033 times
- Been liked: 3395 times
@Martinspuddle Kent water would take a real hit with a few million gallons of RO to make any difference!
As soon as the carbonates are gone during the cycle the KH isn't high enough to keep the ph balanced, so it crashes, usually to below 6, so the cycle stalls temporarily (as the munchers don't work efficiently below about ph6.2) until the carbonates are replaced.
As soon as the carbonates are gone during the cycle the KH isn't high enough to keep the ph balanced, so it crashes, usually to below 6, so the cycle stalls temporarily (as the munchers don't work efficiently below about ph6.2) until the carbonates are replaced.
- Martinspuddle
- Forum Jester & TOTM Winner
- Posts: 7036
- Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2019 18:07 pm
- Location: Sceapig
- Has liked: 4220 times
- Been liked: 3888 times
Know it can happen but never with our water. Just surprised the idea of buffering it, sounds a little extreme to me.plankton wrote: ↑Mon Apr 05, 2021 9:50 am @Martinspuddle Kent water would take a real hit with a few million gallons of RO to make any difference!
As soon as the carbonates are gone during the cycle the KH isn't high enough to keep the ph balanced, so it crashes, usually to below 6, so the cycle stalls temporarily (as the munchers don't work efficiently below about ph6.2) until the carbonates are replaced.
WARNING - DO NOT BREED, FEED OR PET THE PUDDLE!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Member
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Tue Mar 02, 2021 10:09 am
- Location: UK
- Has liked: 3 times
- Been liked: 6 times
Yeah, the qt tank is small... like 26 litres tops. I believe when I tested last time my KH was like 3. It holds steady once established and fish have been added but during the fishless cycling it often needs a boost. Once its cycled and fish are added i don't seem to have any problems with the water changes and stuff on top my cycle holds steady and ph remains at 7.5
I should add that I only put the bicarbonate soda in during fishless cycling, when the fish are added i do a large pw change before hand and then just water changes as necessary so no more bicarbonate is added then
I should add that I only put the bicarbonate soda in during fishless cycling, when the fish are added i do a large pw change before hand and then just water changes as necessary so no more bicarbonate is added then
Cheers
180l community tank
180l community tank
-
- Member
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Tue Mar 02, 2021 10:09 am
- Location: UK
- Has liked: 3 times
- Been liked: 6 times
I want to cry so much. I got sloppy with my testing and at some point I've either added too much ammonia too quickly or the cycle crashed. The ammonia is ridiculously high now so I got to start again
Cheers
180l community tank
180l community tank
- Martinspuddle
- Forum Jester & TOTM Winner
- Posts: 7036
- Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2019 18:07 pm
- Location: Sceapig
- Has liked: 4220 times
- Been liked: 3888 times
Can't you take some media and water from your main aquarium to start your quarantine tank?
WARNING - DO NOT BREED, FEED OR PET THE PUDDLE!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- plankton
- Super Mod
- Posts: 12206
- Joined: Sun Jan 21, 2018 17:02 pm
- Location: S. Derbyshire
- Has liked: 5033 times
- Been liked: 3395 times
Do a 50% water change and see what the ammonia reading is then.