Apistoguy52
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While I can differentiate a number of the different males, I am unable to tell the girls apart. Mike and Frank are both part of a very small group that may be able to differentiate the females
I am using oak extract
As I'm pretty sure you either have Amtra or Easy-Life, you are pouring in diluted hydrochloric acid. That way yes, you can lower the pH, but you also raise conductivity and have to counter the KH before the acid actually lowers the pH. I suspect you will end up with a quite high conductivity. Also think about it - You will have to keep buying and adding that stuff at a price of usually about 20€ per liter of that stuff, while homemade humic substance brew with alder cones and rooibos is about 00.25€ per liter. Midway with about 2-4€ per portion you add to a tank would be peat.I don’t trust the chemicals that much
I have HS aqua.As I'm pretty sure you either have Amtra or Easy-Life, you are pouring in diluted hydrochloric acid.
I got a 350 ml bottle for free. It was offered to me so then I don’t say no.You will have to keep buying and adding that stuff at a price of usually about 20€ per liter
I have found that peat works the best and is the most reliable. I have found out that I can go to a ph of 6,5 and a kh of 3 with 250 grams that is not that much. I could add more but I need to buy some new again. But with alder cones i believe that they only lower the ph for a short time and also they only color the heater brown (which I do like). Tell me if I am wrong. But I will try to go lower with just botanicals. But I think I can not go lower than a ph of 6 with botanicals. I don’t know anything about rooibos that would be like the Thea bags right but biological made.while homemade humic substance brew with alder cones and rooibos is about 00.25€ per liter. Midway with about 2-4€ per portion you add to a tank would be peat.
The acid method is not advisable unless you already have the KH at 0 and then it's more feasable and much safer to use peat or botanicals instead of acid.
Same mixture.I have HS aqua.
for free is always of interest.I got a 350 ml bottle for free. It was offered to me so then I don’t say no.
Correct, peat gives you the most bang for our buck.I have found out that I can go to a ph of 6,5 and a kh of 3 with 250 grams that is not that much. I could add more but I need to buy some new again.
I use simple pure organic rooibos teabags with no aroma additives from my supermarket. I go through a 1,50€ pack in three months. The pH-effect is not very pronounced (same as with botanicals), but it adds a great colour and has anti-bacterial properties.I don’t know anything about rooibos that would be like the Thea bags right but biological made.
I will buy it once.I use simple pure organic rooibos teabags with no aroma additives from my supermarket. I go through a 1,50€ pack in three months. The pH-effect is not very pronounced (same as with botanicals), but it adds a great colour and has anti-bacterial properties.
I have a lot of leaf litter just laying I add it slowly in the tank. But do you only use RO and botanicals and how many botanicals do you use I also add that brew once every week or every two weeks. My peat has to be replaced now cause de KH and PH are going up again every batch is useful for 4 weeks. I use super peat from sera it works good but I think it cost a bit to much do you have a tip which peat to use that works as good, is cheaper and is buyable in bigger packages.Whichever method you use, you will have to add more after a number of waterchanges one way or the other. Peat has to be replaced after 2-4 weeks depending on the water you use, botanicals release humic substances until they have decomposed to mulm, but less and less. The visible stuff is washed out after a week or two. I add two liters of brew with the weekly waterchange and extra leaf litter with it, works great.
Then is the question how to get the KH under 1 degree? The KH is 3 so I don't have a to long way to go. I could add more peat I use 250 gram which according to the package could be added double. But I heard that using more only adds time to the time of use and not how good it works.Botanicals barely work as long as the KH is above 1°, 0.5 is the most you get out of them at higher KH.
Excellent. I count leaf litter as a form of botanical. I add 5-10 leaves every 2-3 weeks.I have a lot of leaf litter just laying I add it slowly in the tank. But do you only use RO and botanicals and how many botanicals do you use
Yep, the Sera peat is quite expensive. The Eheim peat is a bit cheaper but not a lot. You could get white peat (witte turf) without fertilizer addition from a garden center. The 10 kg bags go a long way for little money. You only add some in a filter media bag and that's it. You know the drill. How much exactly you will have to experiment.My peat has to be replaced now cause de KH and PH are going up again every batch is useful for 4 weeks. I use super peat from sera it works good but I think it cost a bit to much do you have a tip which peat to use that works as good, is cheaper and is buyable in bigger packages.
Peat counters some of the KH, but in the end dilution (RO, rainwater, distilled water) is your best bet.Then is the question how to get the KH under 1 degree?
The problem is rather that any peat, botanicals and other organic matter causes oxygen depletion in the beginning, when microorganisms start to colonise them.But I heard that using more only adds time to the time of use and not how good it works.
I can’t use RO.The solution is to start with RO and
Yes and no.but you can't control how low it gets and how fast.
I don’t only GH I could buy one but not the best it would be a 10-30 € one.TDS meter
I do it in the filter I don’t understand how you use it.I have done it before, made a miniature peat cannon out of an inverted 4L bottle and some filter floss. It will lower the pH, probably won't change the hardness much if at all.
I have used peat for a long time and I went to a 7,5 ph to a stable 6,5 with peat so that positive but I don’t now if it is even possible to lower the ph more. I will add more peat. And once a week after the water change at a brew. I can prepare the changing water. Is that so dangerous. I feel like I have it more in the hand then right?For the time being peat is the top choice here.
I could do this with boiling aquarium water with a lower ph gh and kh than tap water. Is it advisable to use more peat so maybe 300 grams or more just figuring that out or won’t it change anything. I hope this helps these fish also I like the brown water. For me it can get a lot darker then now.2 liters of RO (boiling)
10-20 alder cones (can be used 2-3 times if dried inbetween uses)
5-10 leaves
2-4 bags of rooibos
Pour the boiling RO over the botanicals, let sit for at least 2-4 hours. If you want it especially strong leave it for 24-48 hours. As you see the numbers can vary as the only consistent ingredients are the water and the tea.
Even a cheap one is better than nothing. You may find that the conductivity of your tap water fluctuates, so it will be good to correlate it with breeding success. At the very least, you'll know whether or not your water is in a permissive regime.I don’t only GH I could buy one but not the best it would be a 10-30 € one.
Cut off the bottom of the the 4L bottle. Drill two holes in the lid and turn the bottle upside down. Stuff filter floss at the bottom, and add 4 - 5 inches of peat on top. Pour water over the top like you're brewing coffee (cold brew). I have a 5 gallon bucket and cut a hole in the lid to suspend the 4L bottle and let the water drip through.I do it in the filter I don’t understand how you use it.
have used peat for a long time and I went to a 7,5 ph to a stable 6,5 with peat so that positive but I don’t now if it is even possible to lower the ph more. I will add more peat. And once a week after the water change at a brew. I can prepare the changing water. Is that so dangerous. I feel like I have it more in the hand then right?