Benificial bateria and Low ph water

[hybird147]

Hi,

As I've read on few online sources,which say that beneficial (nitryfying bateria) do not cope well with ph below 6. My tb tank's ph is around 5.4 -5.5, that has few berried and im getting some more stock in soon. I have not experience any deaths yet (WP is optimal). But Im feeling a bit off and worry about introducing more stocks around 10-20, and all the upcoming babies, that may cause sudden spike in NH3 and NO3 due to the fact that bateria already do not thrive well in my current WP.

Im thinking of switching using only RO water to 40/60 - aged tap water(with mosura shizhen)/RO water to bring ph up to 6 -6.2 over a course of next few weeks. With 10% water change every week. And increase dosage of shrimpbooster (from bossaqua) as this is the only additives I have that provide bateria. Id prefer to prevent any problem that may arise rather than dealing with it later on the way.

I hope some veterans here can give me some advice on these :). How do you deal with low ph?

Cheers and thank you

[jayc]

What substrate do you use?

[hybird147]

I use Cal Aqua Lab Black Earth (new formula)

Initially i was going for Iwagumi tank, but then i found tb is more interesting so i switch over and didn't bother to replace substrate. Since the substrate is around 3 months old up until this day.

Edited November 3, 2014 by hybird147

[jayc]

What is your Ammonia, Nitrite readings?

 

If it's 0, I wouldn't worry about it. It means you already have beneficial bacteria, and they are alive to process nitrogenous waste.

Many of us use Cal Labs Black Earth Premium. It's my favourite substrate at the moment.

At pH 5 or 5.5, the bacteria is less active compared to higher pH levels. But they are certainly still alive.

You'd only start worrying if pH was 4 or lower.

 

And pH 5-5.5 is perfect for the more sensitive Caridinas.

 

If you continue to keep TB, then the low pH of 5.5 is perfect.

 

And introducing 10-20 shrimp at a time would not be too stressful on the bacteria. They will just multiply to cope with the increased load. When there are more babies and an increased bio load, the bacteria will multiply due to an increase in food source (ammonia). But when there isn't enough food for the bacteria, they will die off. Thereby maintaining the perfect amount of bacteria to nitrogenous waste ratio.

 

At such low pH levels, ammonia and nitrite is not so toxic (ionised ammonia NH4+). In addition, ammonia toxicity increases as temperature rises.

[Squiggle]

+1, well said dude!

[hybird147]

Thank you @jayc. I never get any reading on ammonia. I guess i don't have to go an extra mile with mixing ro and tap water then :) 

[Squiggle]

It's always better to use RO & Salty Shrimp minerals for the higher end shrimp, just takes one problem (what's in your water) out of the equation so you can focus on the rest of your WP.

[jayc]

Thank you @jayc. I never get any reading on ammonia. I guess i don't have to go an extra mile with mixing ro and tap water then :) 

 

You won't have to.

 

It's always better to use RO & Salty Shrimp minerals for the higher end shrimp, just takes one problem (what's in your water) out of the equation so you can focus on the rest of your WP.

 

Well said back @Squiggle 

 

Hybird147,

like Squiggle says, if you have RO water, stick with that.

[hybird147]

Ye thats what im currently doing. I guess I worried bit too much about bateria. Lol.

[Squiggle]

As long as you add new stock slowly & you have a zero ammonia & nitrite reading the bacterial cycle is fine.

[Sprae]

That's the least of your worries once you go RO with supplementary minerals. I'm constantly battling keeping my pH low (at 5.8-6pH) and lower my TDS (at ~400ppm) in a 3 year old tank.

[Guest]

Amoniac của bạn là gì, đọc Nitrite?

 

Nếu nó là 0, tôi sẽ không phải lo lắng về nó. Nó có nghĩa là bạn đã có vi khuẩn có lợi, và họ còn sống để xử lý chất thải chứa nitơ.

Nhiều người trong chúng ta sử dụng Cal Labs Black Earth Premium. Đó là chất nền yêu thích của tôi vào lúc này.

Tại pH 5 hoặc 5.5, các vi khuẩn này là ít hoạt động hơn so với mức độ pH cao hơn. Nhưng họ chắc chắn vẫn còn sống.

Bạn sẽ chỉ bắt đầu lo lắng nếu pH là 4 hoặc thấp hơn.

 

Và 5-5,5 pH là hoàn hảo cho các Caridinas nhạy cảm hơn.

 

Nếu bạn tiếp tục giữ TB, sau đó độ pH thấp là 5,5 là hoàn hảo.

 

Và giới thiệu 10-20 tôm tại một thời điểm sẽ không quá căng thẳng trên vi khuẩn. Họ sẽ chỉ cần nhân để đối phó với tải tăng. Khi có thêm em bé và một tải sinh học tăng lên, các vi khuẩn sẽ nhân rộng do sự gia tăng nguồn thức ăn (amoniac). Nhưng khi không có đủ thức ăn cho các vi khuẩn, chúng sẽ chết. Qua đó duy trì số tiền hoàn hảo của vi khuẩn với tỷ lệ chất thải chứa nitơ.

 

Ở mức độ pH thấp như vậy, ammonia và nitrite không phải là quá độc hại (ion hóa ammonia NH4 +). Ngoài ra, độc amoniac tăng lên khi nhiệt độ tăng.

If ph 5.0-5,5 better for twb shripm then how much GH ??? My shrimp tank ph 5,2 gh6 tds 140 shrimp color very bad. 

[al4n]

Those parameters are fine

[salvanost]

higher gh should make ur bluebolt color better

but right now at gh 4 tds 120 (different soil different gh buffer, amazonia got lower gh)

i see the blue bolt color still good,

i had experiment from tds 90-160 and i see best color at tds 140 (gh 5)

 

ofcourse it would be different if we talking about redwine