TomCruise Posted September 14, 2016 Report Share Posted September 14, 2016 Hi everyone, I've got a planted tank with Brightwell sub, CO2 and Blue Bolts. My pH cycles from 6.08 in the morning to 5.78 in the evening. Is this unhealthy? Should I aim for tightening this range? I turn off CO2 at night about an hour before my light turns off and it comes on about the same time as my lights come on. Also, is having a KH of 4-5 necessarily bad for Caradina? I have really clean tap water as I live in the foothills. So far my few tester shrimp seem to be fine, although i see markedly more activity from them in the evening as the pH climbs lower. Thanks in advance for any advise. Here's my tank too. Just cuz I'm proud of it's progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dao Posted September 15, 2016 Report Share Posted September 15, 2016 If you considering cbs/crs I don't think the pH fluctuation will be an issue - it's hardly big. The kh might be. They should easily survive but i'm not sure if they will breed. Or if the young will survive. Tangeriine tigers should breed. Oebt might also do ok. TomCruise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vpier Posted September 15, 2016 Report Share Posted September 15, 2016 Ph swings happen in nature during the course of the day and this also happens in an aquarium with no CO2. Your KH is a little high for my taste and I am very familiar with water that comes from the mountains since I grew up in Boulder County. Caridina's a far more adaptable then most people make them out to be. The Germans successfully raise and bred Caridina in tap water that we here in the states consider hard for bee shrimps.. If your shrimps are thriving and breeding then I wouldn't change anything. Keeping things consistent is key when it comes to keeping shrimps and fish. TomCruise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomCruise Posted September 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2016 Ph swings happen in nature during the course of the day and this also happens in an aquarium with no CO2. Your KH is a little high for my taste and I am very familiar with water that comes from the mountains since I grew up in Boulder County. Caridina's a far more adaptable then most people make them out to be. The Germans successfully raise and bred Caridina in tap water that we here in the states consider hard for bee shrimps.. If your shrimps are thriving and breeding then I wouldn't change anything. Keeping things consistent is key when it comes to keeping shrimps and fish.Good to know. I'm in Fort Collins. Very close as far as water quality I would guess..Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vpier Posted September 15, 2016 Report Share Posted September 15, 2016 3 hours ago, TomCruise said: Good to know. I'm in Fort Collins. Very close as far as water quality I would guess.. Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk You get your water from Horsetooth Res. which is piped from Grandby Res. and my water came from Grandy. TomCruise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. F Posted September 15, 2016 Report Share Posted September 15, 2016 You have to remember that KH, the alkalinity, is simply a measure of your water's ability to buffer a higher pH. The reason caridina are kept in low KH is because they like low pH. I've seen pH readings in the low 5s with Brightwell, which would indicate that your acidic substrate is battling the basic carbonate in the water. Although your swing isn't drastic, it is notable and higher than expected. Alkalinity will destroy your soil's buffering capacity over time, so you might see the pH range widen or just get higher. I'd recommend using lower KH water, maybe a mix of RODI and tap, or just remineralized RODI with no alkalinity. TomCruise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomCruise Posted September 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2016 I just checked my kh and it seems to be zero. I goofed and assumed that because my tap has 4-5 kh it would be the same in the tank...Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. F Posted September 16, 2016 Report Share Posted September 16, 2016 I just checked my kh and it seems to be zero. I goofed and assumed that because my tap has 4-5 kh it would be the same in the tank...Sent from my SM-N900V using TapatalkThis is what I assumed. If your alkalinity in the tank was 4-5 it would almost certainly be over 7.0 pH, but as you add tap water, the alkalinity neutralizes the humic acid in the soil and destroys it's pH lowering capabilities while also lowering the KH down to 0. TomCruise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomCruise Posted September 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2016 Aha!! Thank you!Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk Mr. F 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomCruise Posted September 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 Thanks! I think my pH fluctuations had more to do with my CO2. I have set my timer to go on and off ever hour or so with the frequency increasing at night and miraculously my pH has settled and 5.85 +/-.04 which doesn't scare me at all. Thanks to everyone who took the time to educate me. I've leaned a lot from this thread. Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk Soothing Shrimp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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