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Neo Strikes Back


neo-2FX

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Getting close to stocking this thing. Should have some TB by next Wednesday.

However before I jump the gun, I've been tracking the pH and it's hovering around 6.9-7.0

Shouldn't it be buffering down to about 6.5 with Amazonia?

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check the nitrate first

it's really hard to reduce the nitrate on amazonia soil

Nitrates are zero.

Sad day yesterday. Lost the CRS that I was using to test the parameters.

Something mustn't be right still.

Could have been me because I:

1. Used easy life catappa x

2. Put some ADA ferts in for the new plants

3. Topped up a little too quick?

4. Put some new fine sponge in

5. Had my hands in the tank with plants

6. Or even didn't acclimatise properly

Could have been anything really, parameters looked fine but can't figure out why pH isn't decreasing.

Looks like I'll have to wait a little longer and figure out what happened before jumping into TB's.

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My pH is around 6.9. What is yours salvanost?

The strangest part is my pH was decreasing during cycle which I had to put bicarb to boost it for cycling. But now it's not decreasing much :S

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 I had to put bicarb to boost it for cycling. 

Ah hah!

That's probably it. You still have carbonates in the tank and it's buffering a bit.

Try a light gravel vac to a depth of 1cm all over, if you don't have and shrimps in there yet.

Remove all the plants and stone and wood while you gravel vac.

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I only have some Chameleons in there.

I would have thought by now the carbonates would have been removed with a large water change. Perhaps another large water change (taking shrimp out first?).

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The bicard powder would have sunk into the gravel. That's why I suggested a light gravel vac.

You can do it without taking the shrimp out if you can avoid sucking any of them up. Otherwise, yeah, remove as many shrimp as you can. It can be hard if you have shrimplets.

Continued water changes will help, it it might take longer if there is any residue of bicard within the substrate/gravel. 

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The bicard powder would have sunk into the gravel. That's why I suggested a light gravel vac.

You can do it without taking the shrimp out if you can avoid sucking any of them up. Otherwise, yeah, remove as many shrimp as you can. It can be hard if you have shrimplets.

Continued water changes will help, it it might take longer if there is any residue of bicard within the substrate/gravel. 

OK! I remember now it mostly fell in a certain spot. I'll gravel vac that part and see what happens. Thanks for your help jayc.

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OK! I remember now it mostly fell in a certain spot. I'll gravel vac that part and see what happens. Thanks for your help jayc.

You can thank me later if it actually works. 

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still cycling my tank,

already green 2 weeks ago, but the ammonia still 5 ppm++

the ph 5.2, but it's normal for amazonia to have wide range of ph
other hobbyist i know got ph from 5-7

Untitled.jpg

Edited by salvanost
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looks like my tank already cycle

it's my 2nd time using amazonia, and i still don't understand how the ammonia reduced so fast to 0(from 5ppm), the tank really not giving any hint at all when it's gonna cycled

i won't bother checking the nitrate LOL must be high

time to water change the tank to reduce the nitrate

Edited by salvanost
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  • 1 month later...

Great setup and some stunning shrimp there!! ?

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