question to CRS keeper

[zapisto]

i just move my crs away , they was acting strange.
i do a quick test on parameter and found the PH at 4.6
is it to low ?

[Neonshrimp]

Yes, this is too low for shrimp and most fish. I have read that CRS prefer soft and acidic water in about the pH range of 6.4-6.8.

[Mustafa]

Yes, 4.6 is way too low. Although these shrimp can be found at ph values as low as 5.3-5.5 in nature, they seem to do best in aquaria at values around 6.5. So do the bacteria and microorganisms they feed on.

I would check my nitrates if I were you...sudden drops to ph values that low usually indicate increases nitrates (nitric acid!).

[zapisto]

Yes, this is too low for shrimp and most fish. I have read that CRS prefer soft and acidic water in about the pH range of 6.4-6.8.

well not for fish
i have rigth now T. candidi and D.maculatus, C. Regani in PH4.0 and they are breeding now

I would check my nitrates if I were you...sudden drops to ph values that low usually indicate increases nitrates (nitric acid!).

I did check and nothing
i think it is the piece of wood (malaysian wood) i just add who the cause.
i will conduce some test tonigth on this wood.

this tank was well cycle and running for month now.

[milalic]

Wood can cause drops in ph to very low values. This is why I do not keep wood in my shrimp tanks.

-Pedro

[Neonshrimp]

Can anyone tell me if leaves can also drop the pH much? The tannins sometimes turns the water slightly darker .

[zapisto]

Can anyone tell me if leaves can also drop the pH much? The tannins sometimes turns the water slightly darker .

actually this wood dont make the water become darker.
but they do have tannin

[TKD]

4.6????? What did you poor acid in the tank???

TKD

[badflash]

4.6 is not all that unusual. My tank has a tendency to drift to about that level too. I may be the bog wood. I've been adding hardness, but it seems to drift back down again pretty quickly.

[zapisto]

4.6????? What did you poor acid in the tank???

TKD

No Believe me i will not do that in my crs tank even if they are c class

well yesterday i sink the piece of wood in a bucket of water
i test the water before , PH was at 6.8
i test it this morning and guess what Ph at 6.0

well i think i found my problem.


now the question : if i add some crush coral , will this enough to refrain the wood to lower the PH so drastically ?

[klkelly]

I've never heard of PH that low. That's some powerful driftwood you have The driftwood I had bought for my other tank did nothing but colour the water - PH is still above 8 but I have fish that don't mind high PH in it.

I can see why your shrimp were acting strange. I have the opposite problem lowering PH. Good luck.

Karrie

[zapisto]

I've never heard of PH that low. That's some powerful driftwood you have The driftwood I had bought for my other tank did nothing but colour the water - PH is still above 8 but I have fish that don't mind high PH in it.

I can see why your shrimp were acting strange. I have the opposite problem lowering PH. Good luck.

Karrie

karine ,
i am used to very low PH.
i usually deal with PHaround 4 for some special hard fish.
my problem is getting alkalin hard water........ no joke.
my tap is 6.8 , GH~2 and KH very low, conductivity is around 70

for the wood effect everything is matter of hardness.
but this wood tend to be the one who surprise the more.
first of all, it doenst color the water, as some othe does.
second with my hardness i use to be very very carefull to avoid this sort of problem.
i was not think this wood would give me this drastic effect.


for you water try to mix with RO see what it give you.

[milalic]

I've never heard of PH that low. That's some powerful driftwood you have The driftwood I had bought for my other tank did nothing but colour the water - PH is still above 8 but I have fish that don't mind high PH in it.

I can see why your shrimp were acting strange. I have the opposite problem lowering PH. Good luck.

Karrie

Not all wood will lower the ph. It depends which kind. Also, depending on how they buffer the water where you live you can notice it more or less.

-Pedro

[Mustafa]

now the question : if i add some crush coral , will this enough to refrain the wood to lower the PH so drastically ?

How about just taking out the wood? If you put crushed coral in there then you will just be adding unnecessary ions into the water. You already added a bunch of unnecessary ions to the water with the wood. If you measure conductivity before and after adding wood into a tank or a bucket you will see that conductivity is much higher after adding the wood within a day or two already (and then it keeps rising).

Adding crushed coral is like spraying an air freshener in your living room that somehow went bad and starts stinking up the room. Then you go and spray another air freshener to cover the smell of the first one. I would have just opened the window and let the smell out. It's healthier that way. When in doubt, always use the easiest solution. In this case, just take the wood out.

[zapisto]

thanks mustafa.
it is what i did , the wood was removed as soon as i found my shrimp acting strange.

i was asking the question to try found an other usage of this wood , not in my crs tank for sure
thanks