• Hello guest! Are you an Apistogramma enthusiast? If so we invite you to join our community and see what it has to offer. Our site is specifically designed for you and it's a great place for Apisto enthusiasts to meet online. Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your fish and tanks and have a great time with other Apisto enthusiasts. Sign up today!

New to soft water, acidic tanks!

Jon E

New Member
Messages
11
Location
Alberta, Canada
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

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
2,868
Location
Wiltshire UK
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

New Member
Messages
11
Location
Alberta, Canada
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

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
2,868
Location
Wiltshire UK
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
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
18,347
Messages
120,401
Members
13,371
Latest member
yongjz95

Latest profile posts

Working on the spam issues. Just set up a new add-on that should help tremendously. Thanks for your continued patience!!! And thanks for donating!
roekste wrote on Josh's profile.
Good morning, Please can you delete the new members that is spamming the forum. Its all crazy.
Thank you.
I'm looking for quality apistogrammas, can anyone recommend a good seller specialized in apistogrammas who ships in Europe? Thanks
Ada_1022 wrote on hongyj's profile.
Hi I didn’t know if you still have any of the Apistogramma Cuipeua?
Would be interested if so.
Top