Reply With QuoteWhats your current set up like? Any coral chips or rocks in your set up? Filter media used? Checked your pH meter? Before and after pH?
What are the possibilities creating your tank water ph rise?
I face this problem now. My ph have been rising 0.1 everyday.
I suspect is my benibachi soil, as i've use it for about a year.
Any other possibilities causing ph to rise?
Whats your current set up like? Any coral chips or rocks in your set up? Filter media used? Checked your pH meter? Before and after pH?
Shrimp tank FTW!
High chance ur soil expire already unless you added new stuff in the tank
My shrimp tank setup uses benibachi soil, mainly moss planted, the residents are fire reds, fire yellow, tigers, myanmar pipefish and afew species of snails. I also use CO2 and some borneo wild humic to buffer the ph also.
PH meter usual readings are ard 6.2-6.3. But for the past 4 days it has rise to a concerning reading of 6.7 when I've just did WC a week ago. Wondering what are the causes and how to rectify?
Maybe can find out how long benibachi soil last?Originally Posted by xconnect.
Shrimp tank FTW!
Usually soil life around year unless setup put a thick layer of soil then can at most two years. Unless I'm wrong pros do correct me
Bro most probably is soil has reached it maximum lifespan and has lost it buffering capability.
Alternatively you can always dip your PH meter in tap water just to ensure it's working fine.
Heard from others that benibachi is a good shrimp soil, faster cycling time but short lifespan.
Hmm... my soil about 3~4cm thick, about 1cm already powdered. I remember I used to set about 5cm thick. Possible rise in GH/KH will affect the rising PH right? But I never add any rocks or minerals to increase such properties. So really wondering possible of soil expired...
IMO, soil is the problem. Check your kh.
Zack
Just did a test on the water, results my KH 3, GH 6, PH 6.5. In the day PH was 6.7, due to plants not photosynthesizing I think undissolved CO2 turns into carbonic acid causing the PH to drop a little.
Should be expire already 4cm thick not alot
If the soil has expired, you will need to turn to methods like the use of filter peat in bags to slow down the pH rise. Mixing in RO/DI water to your usual water change regime should help too. Placing a few pieces of ketapang leaf should be useful as well since it'll be grazed on by the shrimps. The only drawback is that over time, the water may be tinted a little brown.
Fish.. Simply Irresistable
Back to Killies... slowly.
Guess most agree is soil lifespan reached it's end...I was thinking to use Mosura Soft water. Anyone used it before? Hows then effects of the resin?
Any bros out there care to share methods of replacing old soil with new?
Usually just top up? Or decom entirely and reset? Or other better methods?
As i have 150 over livestocks and i think with new soil require cycling... Headache...
Suggest you better start preparing your standby tank.
i would suggest decom and reset. safest.
this is what i would do :
mission 1 : get another canister to seed the bb in the old tank and use half the media of old canister. prepare a holding tank with some soil from old tank. very thin layer about 1cm will do. fill the holding tank up with 80% water from old tank, use either one canister for the holding tank. Then catch out all the shrimps(water level is low now, easier to catch) and transfer all to holding tank, no need to acclimatise as both tank water are the same.
mission 2 : decome old tank and replace with new soil. new water and all whatever additives you are going to put, run canister for a month.
mission 3 : repeat step 1 into your reset tank. bingo!
Thanks for sharing! Shall seek more opinion and seek the best option.
One risky way if you dare to try.
1) Put your all shrimps in breeding box or another partiton of your tank (if any) and remove plants and driftwood
2) Use a siphon tube and suck away all existing soil
3) Add soil (soil with little ammonia that does not require long cycling time, e.g. Benibachi) slowy back into the tank so as not to make the tank clouded with the soil pariticles. You can do so by putting soil in a big net then lowering it slowy to the bottom of your tank before pouring out the soil slowly
4) Release shrimps back after a day. Your benificial bacteria should be able to handle the low amount of ammonia releasing from the soil
NOTE: Do this at your own risk. It is safer to remove all shrimps to another tank and do a complete reset with proper cycling.
If you disturb the substrate you run the risk of causing not only stress to the shrimps, but releasing any trapped gas from rotting food or poop in between the bits of soil. Even a small amount of ammonia being leached out by the soil, be it Benibachi or other brands, will cause some considerable stress to your shrimp.
Fish.. Simply Irresistable
Back to Killies... slowly.
This is going to be a major project. Think best way is to decom and reset tank. Will have to find another tank to hold the moss and shrimps.
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