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A pH of 9.5?
What kind of substrate are you using? And are there any rock decorations in your tank?
Good evening all fellow forummers.
It has been sometime since my 4' setup was first setup. The fishes and majority of the plants are doing well except for my windelov fern. The ferns' leaves would turn out patches of black even after previously trimming off all the affected areas. Just did a pH test and was astounded to find that my pH is 9.5 (Using Sera test kit). Attached is a picture of one of the leaflet that i cut off earlier this evening.
Beginners Info Sheet
++++++++++++++++++
Tank Dimensions (LxWxH): 4' x 1.5' x 1.5'
Lighting Intensity(No of Watts) : 2 x 36W
Type of Lighting (FL/PL/MH) : PL
No. of Hours your light is on: 7-8 Hrs
CO2 Injection Rate (bps) : NIL
Type of CO2 (DIY/Liquid/Tank) : NIL
Method of Injection (e.g. Diffusor/Reactor): NIL
Substrate Used : NIL
How Thick is your base fert : NIL
How thick is your gravel : 3"
Liquid Fertilizers Used : NIL
Frequency of fertilization : NIL
Tank Temperature : 24-26 C
Type of Filter (overhead/internal/canister) : Eheim 2226
Filter media used : CR/Biohome
How long has your tank been set up : 2 months
Chemical Properties (Fill what you can)
---------------------------------------
Carbonate Hardness (kh): 4 degree
Total Hardness (gH):
PH : 9.5
NH4 (ppm):
NO2 (ppm):
NO3 (ppm):
PO4 (ppm):
Fe (ppm):
Bioload (Your Fish and Plants)
------------------------------
Fauna: 2 x Sebaraus (6'), 1 x Tengas (6'), 1 x Tarpon (6')
Flora: Anubias Nana Petite, Anubias Coffeefolia, Anubias Afzelii, Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov' and Cryptocoryne wendtii
Describe your problem :
As above.
A pH of 9.5?
What kind of substrate are you using? And are there any rock decorations in your tank?
Its normal for low tech tanks....just like a river..pH flux over a day can be pretty wide but slow though.
Regards
Peter Gwee
[quote:c019ae0c5d="|squee|"]A pH of 9.5?
What kind of substrate are you using? And are there any rock decorations in your tank?[/quote:c019ae0c5d]
Indeed it's 9.5, i did a test on my tap water too. Gave more or less the same pH value. Using black gravel/mixed gravel with no rock decoration.
[quote:c019ae0c5d="PeterGwee"]Its normal for low tech tanks....just like a river..
Regards
Peter Gwee
Hi Peter. You mean black patches appearing over my ferns is a normal situation? Any advice on methods to keep my pH in the neutral range?
Did tried those pH up solutions and seems that the pH value would only alter for a moment and finally revert back to the high reading.
I am also wondering if the symptom on the ferns could be due to a nutrient deficiency? I do understand dosing fert is not the usual practice for low-tech tanks.
Many thanks.
[quote:828c7004af="cherabin"][quote:828c7004af="|squee|"]A pH of 9.5?
What kind of substrate are you using? And are there any rock decorations in your tank?[/quote:828c7004af]
Indeed it's 9.5, i did a test on my tap water too. Gave more or less the same pH value. Using black gravel/mixed gravel with no rock decoration.
[quote:828c7004af="PeterGwee"]Its normal for low tech tanks....just like a river..
Regards
Peter Gwee
Hi Peter. You mean black patches appearing over my ferns is a normal situation? Any advice on methods to keep my pH in the neutral range?
Did tried those pH up solutions and seems that the pH value would only alter for a moment and finally revert back to the high reading.
I am also wondering if the symptom on the ferns could be due to a nutrient deficiency? I do understand dosing fert is not the usual practice for low-tech tanks.
Many thanks.[/quote:828c7004af]
Things grow real slow in low light non-CO2 tanks so any changes might require more time to see results....Consider feeding your critters more per day to get more waste/nutrients to the plants/adding more fish or add some KNO3 to see how things go.(not too much...requires a balance.).
If your pH is that high, why do you want to add pH up? Those stuff ain't for planted tanks...save your money and get more plants.
Regards
Peter Gwee
Cherabin, your windelov may be emmersed form adapting to submergent growth. IME, it may take you a few weeks or even 1 or 2 months before showing good growth.
You seems to have very few plants for a big tank. Try to fill you tank with more plants.
You have only a plain gravel substrate. That might be a problem. A soil substrate top with gravel is usually recommended. The soil substrate will help provide the nutrients and CO2 for the plants.
Here are some of the keys to a successful low-tech tank:
- Plants depends on decomposition of organic matter to supply CO2. A soil substrate with organic matter helps supply the CO2. Keep surface agitation to minimum to avoid CO2 loss.
- No nutrients is added to the water column. Fish feeding will supply the necessary nutrients. Plants also get the nutrients from the substrate.
- Add floating plants. These plants take in atmospheric CO2 and at the same time remove nutrients from the water column.
- No water change is needed, since there is no addition of nutrients to water column.
BC
[quote:25661dc40d="bclee"]Cherabin, your windelov may be emmersed form adapting to submergent growth. IME, it may take you a few weeks or even 1 or 2 months before showing good growth.
You seems to have very few plants for a big tank. Try to fill you tank with more plants.
You have only a plain gravel substrate. That might be a problem. A soil substrate top with gravel is usually recommended. The soil substrate will help provide the nutrients and CO2 for the plants.
Here are some of the keys to a successful low-tech tank:
- Plants depends on decomposition of organic matter to supply CO2. A soil substrate with organic matter helps supply the CO2. Keep surface agitation to minimum to avoid CO2 loss.
- No nutrients is added to the water column. Fish feeding will supply the necessary nutrients. Plants also get the nutrients from the substrate.
- Add floating plants. These plants take in atmospheric CO2 and at the same time remove nutrients from the water column.
- No water change is needed, since there is no addition of nutrients to water column.
BC[/quote:25661dc40d]
Thanks a million BC. Those pointers would certainly point me to the correct direction for a successful lowtech. Bull's eye on the portion of the windelov adapting from emersed to submersed, did indeed purchased the windelov earlier from from Teo's (where they were growing emersed).
I had installed a surface skimmer in the hope that there would be at least some atmospheric CO2 that can be introduced into the tank.
Did consider adding floating plants (frogbits) to my tank but pretty worried that they might shield off light, thereby reducing the effective light from reaching the plants underneath it. Is my worry undue?
Last but not least, if you had notice my pH which is on the very high side: Is there any means to calibrate it to a more neutral reading?
P.S. Water straight from the tap measures 9.5 on the pH scale.
[quote:154c686128="cherabin"]I had installed a surface skimmer in the hope that there would be at least some atmospheric CO2 that can be introduced into the tank.
[/quote:154c686128]
Do not depend on atmospheric CO2. At equilibrium, you will only get 0.5ppm or less CO2. In fact, it will drive off more CO2 than you are adding. Only way to supply more CO2 for a low-tech tank is through the decomposition of organic matter. That's why it is recommended that you have a soil substrate with organic matter. The soil will contain lots of microbes that will decompose the organic matter (e.g. peat) and give out CO2.
Do take note that you should not disturb the substrate. It will release too much nutrients to the water and cause problems. Therefore, it is usually not recommended to have fast growing stem plants which you will uproot often during trimming.
[quote:154c686128="cherabin"]Did consider adding floating plants (frogbits) to my tank but pretty worried that they might shield off light, thereby reducing the effective light from reaching the plants underneath it. Is my worry undue?
[/quote:154c686128]
Partially shade the plants below will help to prevent algae growth. It should not be a problem with low-light plants like Cryptocorynes, Anubius, ferns and mosses.
[quote:154c686128="cherabin"]
Last but not least, if you had notice my pH which is on the very high side: Is there any means to calibrate it to a more neutral reading?
P.S. Water straight from the tap measures 9.5 on the pH scale.
You don't have to be too worry about the pH. Leave it alone for the time being. If you have organic matter in the tank, the pH will drop over time.
BC
[quote:073953d387="bclee"][quote:073953d387="cherabin"]I had installed a surface skimmer in the hope that there would be at least some atmospheric CO2 that can be introduced into the tank.
[/quote:073953d387]
Do not depend on atmospheric CO2. At equilibrium, you will only get 0.5ppm or less CO2. In fact, it will drive off more CO2 than you are adding. Only way to supply more CO2 for a low-tech tank is through the decomposition of organic matter. That's why it is recommended that you have a soil substrate with organic matter. The soil will contain lots of microbes that will decompose the organic matter (e.g. peat) and give out CO2.
Do take note that you should not disturb the substrate. It will release too much nutrients to the water and cause problems. Therefore, it is usually not recommended to have fast growing stem plants which you will uproot often during trimming.
[quote:073953d387="cherabin"]Did consider adding floating plants (frogbits) to my tank but pretty worried that they might shield off light, thereby reducing the effective light from reaching the plants underneath it. Is my worry undue?
[/quote:073953d387]
Partially shade the plants below will help to prevent algae growth. It should not be a problem with low-light plants like Cryptocorynes, Anubius, ferns and mosses.
[quote:073953d387="cherabin"]
Last but not least, if you had notice my pH which is on the very high side: Is there any means to calibrate it to a more neutral reading?
P.S. Water straight from the tap measures 9.5 on the pH scale.
You don't have to be too worry about the pH. Leave it alone for the time being. If you have organic matter in the tank, the pH will drop over time.
BC[/quote:073953d387]
Thank you yet again BC. I will monitor the outcome of the tank and seems to me that the dark spots are lessening since the period of time i posted this thread.
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