Need help on aquascape tank with CRS.

Hi Bros from arofanatics,

I had setup a aquascape tank (1.5ftx1ftx1ft) with rocks and rooted plants (HG and AP) for about a month.

1. EHEIM 2211
2. CO2(24 hrs)
3. 2 x 18W light (8am to 6pm)
4. GEX soil
5. Using Mosura Excel, Mosura Bioplus, Old Sea Mud, Mineral plus and Shirakura ball food.

I had recently introduce some tiger shrimps and CRS into the tank for about a week. 2 tiger shrimps had since dead.

Last measurement of water parameters as follow:

PH 8
KH 9
GH 14

Can some bros help to advise me? Any ways to improvement the WP?
Any other factors I should look into?

[vt_snowman87]

bro your pH is on the high side.. bring it down to 6.5 to 7.. it'll be better for CRS..

are you using a chiller? what is the temperature of the tank? and oh, maybe you could advise us on what grade of CRS are you trying to keep.. the higher the grade, the more sensitive they are..

hope that helps..

Originally Posted by vt_snowman87

bro your pH is on the high side.. bring it down to 6.5 to 7.. it'll be better for CRS..

are you using a chiller? what is the temperature of the tank? and oh, maybe you could advise us on what grade of CRS are you trying to keep.. the higher the grade, the more sensitive they are..

hope that helps..

Hi bro,

Thanks for your advise.

I am keeping my tank in my office, temp is 23. I have a couple of SSS and SS grade and some B grade. The CRS are doing quite well. PH high is may first concern and my second will be high GH and afraid that the CRS was unable to mould and die.

Btw any ways to lower the PH and GH?

Originally Posted by charles_yeo

Hi bro,

Thanks for your advise.

I am keeping my tank in my office, temp is 23. I have a couple of SSS and SS grade and some B grade. The CRS are doing quite well. PH high is may first concern and my second will be high GH and afraid that the CRS was unable to mould and die.

Btw any ways to lower the PH and GH?

driftwood will do the trick on PH are u dosing anything for your gh ? A water change might do the trick

Originally Posted by Wjustin

driftwood will do the trick on PH are u dosing anything for your gh ? A water change might do the trick

Hi bro wjustin,

Thanks for your advise.

I did a scaping with rocks so not going to include any DW. I read on other thread that actually rocks could be the cause of high GH. I use to dose plant fert. and mineral plus but had stop doing so. I did a WC daily and GH seems to go down from intial 18 to 14.

Still monitoring the GH day by day hope it will go down and remain stable. Wonder if CO2 will increase GH?

Still looking into lowering the PH.

[silane]

Originally Posted by charles_yeo

Hi bro wjustin,

Thanks for your advise.

I did a scaping with rocks so not going to include any DW. I read on other thread that actually rocks could be the cause of high GH. I use to dose plant fert. and mineral plus but had stop doing so. I did a WC daily and GH seems to go down from intial 18 to 14.

Still monitoring the GH day by day hope it will go down and remain stable. Wonder if CO2 will increase GH?

Still looking into lowering the PH.

remove the rocks, else it will counteract the effort of water change

Bro Silane,

Thanks for your advise.

But the rocks have been in plc with the scaping liao, guess no choice have to take out the CRS to another tank.

I turn up the CO2 and PH went down to 6.5. But GH at 15 now.

Will the GH slowly stable by it self or the rock will keep bringing the GH up forever?

what kinda rocks? ... not all rocks release minerals

May be do a vinegar test on your rocks. If it start bubbling on the rocks, then that rocks is not suitable for your crs tank as it will bring ph up.

I brought the rocks from Pasir Ris fishfarm Fauna. As Silane mentioned, should be the rocks making the water so hard.

Did a 20% water change and bring the GH from 19 down to 13.

BTW can anyone advised on the GH level of CRS tank?

I increases the CO2 to the tank and managed to maintian the PH at 6.5.