New to soft water, acidic tanks!

[Jon E]

HI all!
I'm very new to Apistos, but absolutely infatuated. I am currently attempting to breed A. Agassizii Gold Blaze and have plans to set up a large tank/colony with the strain of Macmasteri that is often called "viejita gold red". I will be using RODI water, dosing with seachem's alkaline and acid buff because my city very hard, 8.2ph water coming out of the taps. Any advice with using those buffs will be helpful, as right now I am premixing my water for water changes, but it is taking more acid buff then seachem says is necessary to hit and stay at the target ph.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I will be using RODI water, dosing with seachem's alkaline and acid buff because my city very hard, 8.2ph water coming out of the taps. Any advice with using those buffs will be helpful, as right now I am premixing my water for water changes, but it is taking more acid buff then seachem says is necessary to hit and stay at the target ph.

<"You don't need the buffers">. I have a bit of an issue with Seachem's advertising, it often seems designed to obscure what their products contain and how they work.

Is it a planted tank? and do you have a conductivity (TDS) meter?

cheers Darrel

 

[Jon E]

@dw1305
yes, I have a TDS, and it is a planted tank.

 

[Mike Wise]

I agree with Darrel, you don't need commercial buffers - especially for the 2 domestic strains that you want to reproduce.

 

[Jon E]

What would be the best way to proceed?
Right now I am thinking of setting up a non planted breeding tank (10g) and putting in leaf litter, a couple caves, some driftwood and sand substrate, maybe some Moss.
Would I put straight RO water into that? should I add any trace nutrients?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

@dw1305
yes, I have a TDS, and it is a planted tank........
Would I put straight RO water into that? should I add any trace nutrients?

If you add enough nutrients to keep you plants growing that should give you enough ions.

If anyone, or any advertising, talks about "pH stability", they don't understand pH or they are trying to sell you something you don't need. pH will always vary in soft water, it happens in our tanks and it happens in the wild.

If you want to add a little bit of dGH/dKH you can use your tap water, you won't need very much. The humic substances from leaf litter etc may also be important in maintaining plant health.

Have a look at the <"Duckweed Index">, it is a simple technique that makes water management easier.

You can use the conductivity meter, I aim for the range 80 - 150 microS (~55 - 100 ppm TDS).

cheers Darrel