My 75 gallon Discus Tank

[anngocta]

My tank has been up and running for 2 months now. I just wanted to share some of my equipment and what the tank looks like.

Stocking list:

2 4.5" Discus
15 Neon Tetra
5 Cardina Tetra
4 Otocinclus
2 Siamese Algae Eater
4 Nerite Snail
4 Amano Shrimp



Water Parameter:

6.8 Ph
6.5 Ph during Co2
83F
128 TDS
3 GH
2 KH
0 Ammonia
0 Nitrite
0 Nitrate
50% water changes weekly106978106979106980106981106982106983106984 with 100% RO water with 1.75g Alkaline Buffer and 1.75g Acid per 5 gallon.



Equipment:

75 gallon Aqueon Tank drilled with 2 1.5" bulkhead and 1 1" bulkhead
20 gallon long custom sump
Custom built stand
Odyssea quad T5 with 4 6500k bulbs. Only 2 bulbs are on for the first and last 30 min of the 9 hours light cycle.
2 300 watt Odyssea Heaters
2 4"x8" 200 micro filter sock
1.5L of Seachem Matrix
4lbs of Ceramic rings (Extra cycled media for new tanks)
13 Watt UV Sterilizer
Co2 reactor
Jabao 4000 DC Pump
5lbs Co2 tank

[bluelagoon]

The water parameters are off for a cycled tank.The plants will need nitrate so there must be some present but your reading is zero.Can I ask,why "both"the acid and alkaline buffers?Seems to me these two products when used together makes no sense at all to me.Please explain?One is pushing PH up and the other pushing PH down.I have never used the stuff before;just curious on how these both work together?

[Ryan925]

Just a quick suggestion. I see you have the line of seachem ferts. Those can get very expensive very quickly. I was doing the same. I switched over to the pps-pro method from greenleaf. For less than $40 you get prob a year supply or more

Blue lagoon acid and alkaline buffers do work against each other but I believe the use is for two different things.

With 100%ro the alkaline buffer is being used to add carbonate hardness which will also raise ph. The acid buffer is being added to lower the ph. The question is why 100% ro?

[pitdogg2]

Good Luck.

[bluelagoon]

I understand why one would need the carbonates in RO water,but why use the buffer up again with the acid buffer?

[TexMoHoosier]

I agree on the buffer ditch it and keep a KH of about 2. PPS-Pro is an OK method, but with that much light it's an algae explosion waiting to happen. You're set up well for EI. Go to GLA, get dry ferts (KNO3, KH2PO4, Plantex CSM+B) and make sure you keep your CO2 up. A 1 to 1.25 drop in pH from an hour before lights on to about an hour or 2 after before lights off should be your target. Your discus will not be affected by the pH drop, it should be gradual enough.

[anngocta]

You're supposed to used both so you can increase KH while getting the desired PH. If I used only the Alkaline buffer then the PH would spike without raising KH raising enough. I tested with 5 gallon buckets at a time and even with 1/8 g per 5 gallon, the KH would be about 2-3 but the ph would be 8.3.

As for nitrite, my plants are taking it up pretty much as soon as it is being produced.

I haven't found another buffer than worked the way I want other than the Acid and Alkaline buffer. I'm able to buy a 1.2 kilos of each for $20 each and they will last me for about a year. I will continue to test different type of buffer. Both diy and commercial.

I have the dry fert but still doing more research as for the ratio to use.

[Ryan925]

You're supposed to used both so you can increase KH while getting the desired PH. If I used only the Alkaline buffer then the PH would spike without raising KH raising enough. I tested with 5 gallon buckets at a time and even with 1/8 g per 5 gallon, the KH would be about 2-3 but the ph would be 8.3.

Why are you using 100% ro? Just curious ...

What are your plans for the tank? Will you be adding more discus?

[TexMoHoosier]

You're supposed to used both so you can increase KH while getting the desired PH. If I used only the Alkaline buffer then the PH would spike without raising KH raising enough. I tested with 5 gallon buckets at a time and even with 1/8 g per 5 gallon, the KH would be about 2-3 but the ph would be 8.3.

That's because the pH of a bicarbonate solution is 8.31. The acid reacts with the bicarbonate, yielding water and CO2. The CO2 lowers the pH (the same as pressurized CO2 gas does) by becoming HCO3. Once it off gases, it will drift toward the equilibrium pH of the bicarbonate solution which is 8.3 (assuming you had "more" bicarbonate than acid). In other words, you use up which ever is limiting, the acid or bicarbonate and the remaining one ends up buffering your water. You can get the same effect with pressurized CO2, skip the acid and use less bicarbonate. If you're bringing your pH into the mid-6's it probably will not off-gas all the way over night to bring the pH to 8.3.

[anngocta]

Why are you using 100% ro? Just curious ...

What are your plans for the tank? Will you be adding more discus?

I am using 100% ro because I have a 300gpd RO system producing 13.4 gallon per hour at home and my tap isn't that great. It's very hard and high ph. My tap is 7.8 out of the tap and around 8.2-8.3 aged and aerated. GH is around 13 and KH around 9-10.

As for my plan for the tank, I do plan on keeping a total of 6 in that tank and if I get a pure breeding pair then I will separate them into a 30 gallon tank by themselves. The 2 inside the tank right now might be moved to the 55 gallon tank in the living room if decide on a theme for this tank. I'm also looking for a 180gal or bigger tank to replace the one inside the living room but no luck yet. So for now this is my main display tank inside my room.

[anngocta]

That's because the pH of a bicarbonate solution is 8.31. The acid reacts with the bicarbonate, yielding water and CO2. The CO2 lowers the pH (the same as pressurized CO2 gas does) by becoming HCO3. Once it off gases, it will drift toward the equilibrium pH of the bicarbonate solution which is 8.3 (assuming you had "more" bicarbonate than acid). In other words, you use up which ever is limiting, the acid or bicarbonate and the remaining one ends up buffering your water. You can get the same effect with pressurized CO2, skip the acid and use less bicarbonate. If you're bringing your pH into the mid-6's it probably will not off-gas all the way over night to bring the pH to 8.3.

I could probably get the same effect using just Co2 and bicarbonate but I have a sump which creates a lot of surface agitation and oxygenates the water so Co2 does gas off quite quickly. Also, I found using both acid and alkaline buffer keeps my ph quite stable throughout the week. Maybe it's cause the Co2 I'm adding is helping to keep the Ph down but I found it works for me. I'll play around with a 10 gallon tank to try out different ways to raise KH while getting my desired ph and tds.

[TexMoHoosier]

The sump really does not matter. I have a sump on my planted discus aquarium too. You end up using a little more CO2, but you have to really agitate the water to get it to off gas a bunch of CO2. Here's an experiment to try: mix your acid-bicarbonate solution in a 10 gallon and leave it for a few days and see what your pH ends up being and if your KH is still 2.

[Ryan925]

Have you experimented with 50/50 and maybe may not need to mess with water after that ?

[anngocta]

I will experiment with the bicarbonate. I have a bunch of 5 gallon buckets so I'll test it. Do you have any recommendation of how much bicarbonate per 5 gal?

I tried 50/50 RO/Tap but the water still wasn't quite where I wanted it.