Reply With Quote
how come become 4 ? thats super acidic water ... how are your fauna responding ?
As above, anyone using this soil?
What's your pH?
Mine's about 4
Mine's 3litre soil in 14 inch tank. To buffer with coral chips, trial and error on how much coral chips to use?
Thanks.
Last edited by beetroot; 26th Dec 2008 at 18:09.
how come become 4 ? thats super acidic water ... how are your fauna responding ?
Thats what I want to know.
When I saw the pH colour is red, i got a super shock. Don't dare to introduce fauna yet. But it's 3 weeks already.... What's Amazonia II's normal pH? I heard it is lower than normal Amazonia, but how low?
how old is your setup? initial setup usually very low due to nitric acid in the soil, though I never encounter 4. after about one month or filter mature it should go up to around 6.
Is your pH tester working and calibrated properly? or if you are using the manual version does it accurate? you can try to use it on distile water, should be 7
Could it be the coral chips be the culprit?
coral chip will increase pH not reduce it.
Set up is 3 weeks old, but I am very surprised the pH is so super low. Really haven't a clue what's going on
. Am holding back introducing fauna. I really got a shock when i saw the tested water is red/orangy. Initially, I too, thought the pH tester was not working as I tested a few times. Then I tested with my existing tank water - tester turned green, so it's pH about 6.5. Then I tested with salt water - turned blue-ish green, definitely alkaline. So tester is working.
And then, I bought a bag of coral chips and put it in the tank, after a few (many) hours, tested water - pH got to about 6.5. Took coral chips out... left as it is overnight, tested water and again back to red.
Really need help. Tank also has some java moss, moss ball, cabomba - all these from old tank; and taiwan moss, a wood tied with fern & freshwater seaweed (subwarxxxx something, i think) and a few strands of plant which i don't know the name - looks a bit like hornwort/cabomba but reddish in colour. What is causing the low pH?
usually mine drop around 5 when started, I'm using digital pH meter. Your case probably the same, is just that color type pH tester isn't as accurate as digital. Typically you cycle around a month, so just wait for 1 or 2 more weeks and see how. It should go up, if not the start pressing the panic button
How about filter media, did you put anything that might reduce the pH?
haha, i think i should start pressing the panic button already because it is week 3 already. Nothing in filter media, just a small simple filter with sponge.
If the soil's pH doesn't normally go that low... i suspect it's the wood+subwarsetang+fern, which I had soaked outside for a week before putting it in the tank? Let me remove it and monitor to see if pH improves....
So confused.
My interest has wandered! Do U?
Dont think so is the wood and the plant. After you setup your tank and the soil, how many times you have change the water?
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! TIME TO LAY BACK AND RELAX!
A Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins With A Single Step
In 3 weeks... about 3 full water change, plus at least 8 times of 50% water change. Enough?
My interest has wandered! Do U?
Really something unusual is going on.Did you put any peat moss?
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! TIME TO LAY BACK AND RELAX!
A Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins With A Single Step
Peat moss? Though heard of it, have no clue how it looks like so did a search - looks like soil?
http://www.gardening-advisor.com/Peat-Moss.html
No.. i didn't use any peat moss, not that i know of (umm.. does it ever come in moss form?) i only know i have java moss and taiwan moss.
Also, did not use ketapang leaves.
For now, i have removed the bag of coral chips and the wood+subwarsetang+fern, let me test to see what colour i get in the morning. Hope not red! Thats scary for me.
Last edited by beetroot; 27th Dec 2008 at 01:20.
My interest has wandered! Do U?
Only plain ADA soil? nothing inside the tank? What you put inside your canister filter?
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! TIME TO LAY BACK AND RELAX!
A Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins With A Single Step
Yes, ADA Amazonia II. Did not mix any other soil.
Tank has some plants listed in post #7.
Only a small 2W hang on filter with sponge (white filter wool) in it, that's it.
did you wash your test kit properly with tap water before testing ??Originally Posted by beetroot
Set up is 3 weeks old, but I am very surprised the pH is so super low. Really haven't a clue what's going on
And then, I bought a bag of coral chips and put it in the tank, after a few (many) hours, tested water - pH got to about 6.5. Took coral chips out... left as it is overnight, tested water and again back to red
Really need help. Tank also has some java moss, moss ball, cabomba - all these from old tank; and taiwan moss, a wood tied with fern & freshwater seaweed (subwarxxxx something, i think) and a few strands of plant which i don't know the name - looks a bit like hornwort/cabomba but reddish in colour. What is causing the low pH?
peat moss is not really moss ... its used to lower the PH
Yes, absolutely -- small little test bottle washed before testing. Definitely clean because i also tested other water, none turned red/orangy except this particular tank's aquarium water.
I took out the coral chips at 11pm last night. Tested 3 hours later. This was the colour tested at 2am, 27 Dec:
pH about 6.5
Left tank without coral chips overnight. Also without wood+subwarsetang+fern. Tested again this morning at 8.30am, 27 Dec:
pH about 4.5 (at least orangy now, yesterday was red!)
How? How? How? help..............
Keep buffering with coral chips? Do you all need to do that, those using this soil?
My interest has wandered! Do U?
Properly the batch of Aquasoil you got is a high content of nutrients in it, sometimes thing happen in surprise. I think you need about 2months or less and every 3 day change 40% of water and monitor it, the PH should goes up gradually, meanwhile remove the coral chips first. You need the filter to run at this times to circulate the flow, remove wood or plant inside. The best way to check PH is still digital PH tester. IMO
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! TIME TO LAY BACK AND RELAX!
A Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins With A Single Step
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks