My new 5 Gallon

[Crabby]

Got some interesting test results today. Low ammonia, nitrite spike and nitrate is appearing. GH is 5.5 and KH 1.5, which is weird. And my pH is the weirdest - it was 7.4 two days ago, and is 6.2 today. And the 7.4 was measured AFTER my last water change. Is this seriously all the work of ammonia?!

[sdlTBfanUK]

I would expect that to happen using soil based substrate, but you say you aren't sing that type? What is the substrate you are using?

Do you have the water parameters of your source water to hand?

Simon

[Crabby]

I use an inert sand. Plan to test how 'inert' it actually is when I have some time tomorrow. Or to start the experiment at least. Blazepelt has the same substrate and hasn't had problems as far as I'm aware.  

Tap is 7.2 pH, 4 GH and 1-2 KH I think, but I water change with aged water from my 29 gal. Params in there at last water change were 0 Nitrite, 0 Nitrate, 1.0 Ammonia/ammonium (pretty safe), pH 6.4-6.6, GH 4, KH 2. Straight tap never goes into this tank. I do this because I plan to keep some native shrimp in here that prefer aged water. Figured I'd get used to doing it this way. Will soon add some crushed coral or a pH buffer similar to that. 

I have some cholla wood (driftwood) in the tank too, which is releasing tannins and reducing pH, but it still doesn't all make sense to me. 

[sdlTBfanUK]

The source water (29L tank) is close enough to the readings you got except GH 1.5 higher so there may be something in this tank increasing the GH? I don't know what the parameters of your native shrimp are though?

If you haven't got a TDS pen then I would recommend you to get one as they are very cheap and so much quicker/easier to use? Get from somewhere trusted though!

Simon

[Crabby]

Did a water test on the tank this weekend, after doing a large water change last week and adding a fish to finish the cycling, and the pH and GH have risen way too much. Water params were pH 7, GH 6 and KH 3 after the water change last week, and are now pH 7.6 (maximum on my test kit), GH 10 and KH 3. The guppy I have in here for bacteria purposes is still doing fine, he was living in hard water for a while before I got him so I assume he's used to it. What might have made these increase so much? All I've done recently is top up the substrate over the crushed coral in there, and plant some plants in there. And I used some aquarium glue - meant for 'freshwater and saltwater aquariums', in particular for coral frags and rocks - to glue some plants, algae and moss to a couple of pieces of driftwood. It was made for aquariums though... 

Both times I tested, last week and this, the Ammonia Nitrite and Nitrate were barely there, so I doubt it's that. Any ideas? 

Thanks in advance.

[jayc]

37 minutes ago, Crabby said:

crushed coral

You have crushed coral in there?

That is the thing that is raising GH and KH, and thus pH.

People use crushed coral for Tanganyika cichlids that love high pH and hard water.

[Crabby]

The thing is I only used a couple handfuls to try to bring it up to neutral. Still too much? I can remove it, but it's in the sand form mixed in with my black substrate, so it might be difficult.

Also as you say it's meant to increase kh, but mine hasn't shifted at all.

Edited February 9, 2020 by Crabby

[jayc]

3 hours ago, Crabby said:

Also as you say it's meant to increase kh, but mine hasn't shifted at all.

It changes the water very, very slowly. KH will rise eventually.  But GH will shoot up as any loose dust on the coral will dissolve immediately to add calcium into the water. A GH test kit will pick that up. KH will alter slowly however.

So if you want to get pH KH and GH down, try removing as much as possible.

[Crabby]

Okay thanks, it was in a sand format so I think that's why the GH went up like crazy, 'cause every time I messed up my substrate I flung dust into the water. Gonna be more careful of that from now on. And will use crushed coral bones in future, I think. I did try to remove as much as I could, but it was thoroughly mixed through. As long as I leave the substrate alone will that stop it from skyrocketing again? It's buried under substrate as well now, which will keep it safe from the fish messing it up I guess. Thanks jayc!

[jayc]

14 hours ago, Crabby said:

As long as I leave the substrate alone will that stop it from skyrocketing again?

It might not skyrocket up in a short timeframe, but it will continue to buffer your water towards alkaline.

Whenever the water drops in pH (acid), it is this acid that dissolves the coral slightly releasing calcium which raises the GH, KH and pH. Slight chemistry lesson. ?

[Crabby]

Crabby needs some shrimpy sharing time ?

So when I started shrimp keeping I did months of research, and as such I felt that the research was just as good as hands on experience, so I went straight into the deep end with caridina shrimp. Surprisingly, I've done alright with them, so I thought it was time to give neos a go. Doing it in reverse here ?

On saturday, I bought myself a batch of 15 high quality blue dream juvies! I'm absolutely loving them, and I'll post some pics I got last night in the gallery. I've seen a moult from one of them, which is a great sign that they're healthy, and they've been relatively active. Still only seen 7 out of the 15 at once, but oh well, they're shrimp ?

Also got a pic of what looked like shrimp sex... is that prawnography? 

 

-Crabby

Edited May 19, 2020 by Crabby
Added link to pics

[sdlTBfanUK]

Those blue shrimp have a wonderful colour and contrast/compliment nicely with the tangering tigers! Some will probably be hiding away somewhere until they get used to their new environment?

Simon