Sulawesi tank -- 8.5 or 7.5?

[Puddles]

Getting a Sulawesi tank started, planning on having cardinals and some rabbit snails (orange I think). I want to use an inert substrate. I am not sure if I should go with the Salty Shrimp 7.5 ph mineralizer or the 8.5. I don't have a vendor lined up yet as it will be at least months before I purchase the shrimp. Should I wait until I know who I am buying from before getting the powder (and cycling with tap in the meantime) or is one of them the preferred choice?

Edit: I'd like to have neos in here as well, so I think 7.5 may be better for that but I'm not sure.

[Elo500]

I just went through this. I started with 7.5 which is fine for cardinals but I would like to have many different sulawesi and some require the 8.5 so I switched (no shrimp yet ) and then realized salty 8.5 will not mix right without co2. Everything in the tank is covered with powder. So, for just cardinals and neos I'd suggest 7.5. Check out my journal in the link below.

[Shrimpy Daddy]

Sulawesi shrimp don't care much on pH. Instead, they are sensitive towards GH and also the GH vs KH ratio (very important for them to maintain blood and cell pH).

 

Any pH between 7.4 to 8.2 is fine, but you need to have GH of 7 to 8dGH. Personally, I don't like high pH. Higher pH will produce more free ammonia when something die or overfeeding occurs that could cause chain-reaction. In addition, higher pH will cause nutrients to precipitate fast, which will cause GH and trace level to drop.

 

If you are using inert substrate, I will suggest you put a small bag of aragonite in the filter to stabilise the pH.

[OblongShrimp]

If you are just doing cardinals stick to the 7.5 since its easier to dissolve.  The 8.5 was designed for some of the more sensitive species.  In my experience neos do fine in 8.5 as well (they breed fast at the higher temps too).

[EricM]

I started with 8.5 with the knowledge i'll be topping off with RO and slowly lower it?

[nicpapa]

Sulawesi shrimp don't care much on pH. Instead, they are sensitive towards GH and also the GH vs KH ratio (very important for them to maintain blood and cell pH).

 

Any pH between 7.4 to 8.2 is fine, but you need to have GH of 7 to 8dGH. Personally, I don't like high pH. Higher pH will produce more free ammonia when something die or overfeeding occurs that could cause chain-reaction. In addition, higher pH will cause nutrients to precipitate fast, which will cause GH and trace level to drop.

 

If you are using inert substrate, I will suggest you put a small bag of aragonite in the filter to stabilise the pH.

 

I use 8.5 mineral, as it say on directions  one spoon in 20 liter water.

In my tank with cardinals ,i have gh 5- kh 4 120-130 tds ph 8  temp 28c

It running 5-6 months, i start with 9 shrimps now i have 40-50 , maybe more , idont know.

[Shrimpy Daddy]

KH 4 with pH 8 sounds weird. What do you use for measuring all the parameters?

[nicpapa]

KH 4 with pH 8 sounds weird. What do you use for measuring all the parameters?

For ph and kh i use Api test

I check the ph also wiht american marine ph meter , it shows 7.94

For gh i use sera test.

Its weird, other use the same dosage and get highter gh kh...

 

Tank is 80 liters , subtrates is quartz gravel , and rocks is volcanic.

 

i brew the water, one day before i change it .

I use heat ,a pump in an 20 liter water..

The water is milky in the tank , but the other day its clean.

[Shrimpy Daddy]

KH 4 bearly can reach pH 8. Unless your tank has literally nothing that is acidic, which is not the case for a matured tank.

 

You brew the water with Sulawesi 8.5? If yes, then no wonder.

[nicpapa]

KH 4 bearly can reach pH 8. Unless your tank has literally nothing that is acidic, which is not the case for a matured tank.

 

You brew the water with Sulawesi 8.5? If yes, then no wonder.

Ιn the tank there is nothing acidic...

Yew i brew the water with salty shrimp sulawesi 8.5 and ro ...