Expert help needed, no guessing.

[Dave_Discus]

Ok. Ro right and Ph stable. Not going to be cheap in the long run.

Who knows what each one is? The basic chemicals?

Jack was telling me something but I forgot in the ch process.

What can I use to raise gh or tds correctly on the cheap?
What can I use to buffer ph? Isn't it baking soda?


Thanks....please no guessing. Only post the answer if you know for
sure.

Also please tell me what you are using personally.


Thank you

Dave

[brewmaster15]

Dave,
I have water with a KH of less than 1. I buffer my grow outs with a nylon sack with either crushed coral or crushed oyster shells.Place it in my filter and That adds minerals to my water and buffers it.

additionally I add epsom salt (magnesium chloride) and calcium Chloride( sold in feed and grain stores as a calcium suppliment and at home depot as an ice melter).

I don't have a specific ratio ...You need to work that out for your water...


Guess the basic question here is ..whats your water currently like and where do you want it? and are you talking tap or RO?


Hth,
al

[LizStreithorst]

To add gH I use the same 2 chemicals as Brew but also use magnesium sulfate (gypsum). The ratio I use is 3 parts Mag. sulfate to one part each of calcium chloride to one part mag. chloride.

[Dave_Discus]

My tap is real hard and they chloramine the crap out of it.

So I make up my own water from RO.

I do not want to involve my tap water at all.
I don't drink it...(bottled water and Pepsi are my liquids)
so my fish don't have to either.

I have been having great success in making stable
water by using my ro, adding ph stable and ro right
and get tds,kh and ph exactley where I want it.
(took the time to use tds meter and ph probe to
develope my recipe.) I test the whole regime of tests
on the tank and source water before each water
change...maybe overkill...but I always know where
my water is exactley.


Just want to save some green for more Discus
by using the lesser expensive substitutes...

No reason for Kent to make a profit when I
can go to home depot and buy some stuff
or a farm supply store or greg waston..etc..

Just pre-paring for the inevitable large scale
set up I know I will end up with.

I say "Im going to take it slow and easy", but
I keep checking prices on 300 gallon water tanks
and wondering about fish room design.

The ice metler...that's what Jack said!! Any brand?
Do they add other stuff to it?

I will probably be a chemist before this is all over with.

[Dave_Discus]

To add gH I use the same 2 chemicals as Brew but also use magnesium sulfate (gypsum). The ratio I use is 3 parts Mag. sulfate to one part each of calcium chloride to one part mag. chloride.

Yes...more more more....


Any sources ma'am?

[brewmaster15]

for the calcium chloride...I have used between 98-99 % pure....Its sold under various brands as an Ice melter. comes in flake and crystal.... The farm yard supplies sell it as a flake.. looks the same as the melter...costs more...supposed to be pure.

Magnesium sulphate is also an additive that is often carried by farm supply houses.

hth,
al

[LizStreithorst]

Yes...more more more....


Any sources ma'am?

It's used as a soil amendment. Check Lowes, home Depot, Garden supply stores as well as feed stores. The higher grade you can get the better it disolves. I just use the old garden soil stuff, but you can check on like for pharmicutical grade.

[Dave_Discus]

Thanks for the help guys...that gives me a base to work from...
This is like a Discus Encylopedia here!

[Pooquey2000]

Hey!

I'm so glad I stumbled into this!

I'm currently right in there with you all checking TDS and ph w/ meters. I use the expensive stuff (dislike Kent products) Seachem Discus Buffer and Marc Weiss RO Right (going off the market-buy up all you can find!).

Now, I'm a high school graduate. All that I learned so far was through my late husband. Kh???? What is this and how do I test for it, more importantly at what stage in the buffering/boosting process do I test for it?

Danka,

Colette

[brewmaster15]

Hi Colette,
This article may help...

http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-chem.html

-al

[nacra99]

Hi Dave,
I was just thinking, if you really want to save some green, instead of buying more stuff to mix in more stuff into RO water, why not just mix back some tap water (or even some waste water at smaller proportions) to get the desired water parameters?

My water here is also liquid rock.. so for my wild tank, i used to use RO right with 100% RO, but now I mix 20/80% tap/RO and get great results. A large bottle of Prime will help with the chloramines and should last you quite a while.

just a thought
Marc

[lhforbes12]

I like Marc's idea. Why throw away water that has already been dechlorinated?

[kaceyo]

I used to use RO Right and pH stab too but they are costly if you have a number of tanks. I did find out that RO-Right uses mostly potassium, sodium and electrolites. I called and asked about the calcium content of RO-Right and they said it didn't have much cal or magnesium because calcium and magnesium were more toxic! I don't know the reasoning behind that.
Now I use 4 parts cal. chloride (ice melter) to one part magnesium sulphate (Epsom salt) and each rounded teaspoon of the mix raises theTDS of 10gals about 30PPM.
I also use the crushed oyster shell to replace pH Stab.
HTH

Kacey

[tpl*co]

Dave,


additionally I add epsom salt (magnesium chloride) and calcium Chloride( sold in feed and grain stores as a calcium suppliment and at home depot as an ice melter).
Hth,
al

Epsom Salt is Magnesium Sulfate

Tina

[lhforbes12]

Epsom Salt is Magnesium Sulfate

Tina

Actually, if you want to get *really* technical; Epsom salt is MgSO4·7H2O. (Magnesium Hydro Sulphate) but then again, I *may* just be guessing