Re: long list of problems

[Jay Cohen <jakeowen@earthlink.net>]

Hi everyone,
I'd like to thank everyone for trying to help me get my water under
control. My tank still has a long way to go, but I think I have it
figured out a little better now. I still have a few questions though.
 I always thought I had to add something to the RO for Ph, Gh, and Kh. 
If I just add trace elements, like Discus Essentials, or Electro right,
It would certainly be alot easier, but, will my Ph and hardness levels
balance themselves out with the existing levels in the tank? and
wouldn't everything eventually drop down to nothing?
Is there anyway to add Kh without affecting the Ph?, I ask because, I
would someday like to try to breed my fish, and it seems like the
hardness and Ph levels play a part in getting them to spawn, and the
percentage of males to females. Everything I try to raise the Kh with,
also raises the Ph.
I do not want to try mixing my tap water with the RO because it is full
of phosphate and nitrate, the ph is about 9, the hardness varies from
about 10 to ?, and it changes in the summer. I have also heard rumors
that it contains trace amounts of cyanide and arsenic. I don't know if
there is any truth to that, maybe some one on the list would know more
about that than I do. When I put my hose adapter on the faucet, I always
find little pieces of rust on the screen.  It is city water, not well
water. We also have no pressure.

If my tank is going to stay very soft by only using trace elements, I
was wondering if my Cacatuoide would prefer slightly harder water?

I'd  like to hook up a CO2 system. It seems like it's easier to control
the Ph, and it's more natural than chemicals. A few weeks ago, I tried
the Coke bottle technique,  I got the yeast and sugar working after a
few trys. I ran a piece of tubing from the Coke bottle into a hole I
drilled in the side of the intake tube of an old Whisper filter, and let
the impeller chop up the bubbles. My only problem was, I couldn't figure
out a way to slow down the bubbles into the tank. I tried using a
regular Penn Plax air valve, but it was either on all the way, or
completely stopped. Maybe I just needed a better valve. There were no
fish in the tank to worry about, but I needed to use it for my
Checkerboard with an attitude, so I dismantled the Coke bottle for now.
I was thinking about getting some used equipment. I would be very
interested in any one elses DIY set ups, or any suggestions, if you want
to e-mail me off-list.

I lowered the spray bar on my Fluval, am I now losing O2 into the tank?
I noticed the morning after I lowered it, the fish were hanging out at
the surface, not gasping or anything, but just spending more time up
there than usual. I turned the air stone on higher, and it seemed to fix
the problem. Is my fluidized bed filter robbing the CO2 and O2 from my
tank? I thought it was supposed to be a good filter.

Once again, I'd like to thank everyone, I live in Delaware, and I can't
seem to find anyone in the stores who has even heard of these fish, much
less knows anything about them.
I drive up to That Fish Place in Lancaster Pa. every once in a while,
and they usually have lots of Dwarves. By the way, I saw a trio of
Diplotaenia's there last weekend. They wanted $600 for the trio, but on
the weekends, every fresh water fish is half price. They must be very
rare. 

Jay Cohen


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto@majordomo.pobox.com.
For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help,
email apisto-request@majordomo.pobox.com.
Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"!