High TDS

[slycat929]

I have been cycling a new taiwan bee tank for a few weeks. I was planning to separate my red TB from the blue/black. I of know a lot of people say it isn't necessary, but I think I would like the look of it better. Anyway, the tds in the tank will not go below 180 if remineralize to a gh 5. It should be about 150 based on my tests with my RO and remineralizer. I do have a small layer of fluorite in the base and then covered it with UP aqua shrimp sand. I was originally planning on planting the tank, but I have since scrapped this. There is a layer of old sea mud and BT 9 under the substrate, as I usually do. I typically use the fluorite for my neo tanks, but I didn't expect it raise tds. Is it the fluorite? I have the same substrate additives in my current TB tank, but a different substrate. No problems there. Should I just scrap it and start over without the fluorite? What do you think?

[DETAquarium]

Instead of doing that, this is my suggestion. Do a large water change 75%+ and remineralize the water to 120 TDS or so. If in fact the fluorite is increasing your TDS by about 30 then you should achieve your target TDS of 150 that way.

[slycat929]

I did essentially the above. I remineralized to a lower tds and then added to tank. I didn't put any other additives in the water. The tds increased in the tank, but the gh remained low. I would like it to be around 4-5, but it was holding steady at 3. There are other factors increasing the tds. I only have cholla, IAL and moss. I do not have any stones in there. I just don't see TB adapting well to a TDS of 170-180.