Re: long list of problems

[IDMiamiBob@aol.com]

Jay writes:

> 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.

KH is buffering ability, also known as alkalinity.  You have to add buffers to
get this increase in KH.

Remember that every chemical you are dealing with here forms an ionic
solution.  These chemicals are ionically bonded things which break down into
poistive and negative ions.  When you add Calcium Chloride for example, you
don't have CaCL in your water.  You have a bunch of free-roaming Ca++ ions and
twice as many free-roming Cl- ions.  Add Magnesium Carbonate, and you have
free-roaming Mg++ and CO3-- ions.  Add Hydrochloric acid, and you get H+ ions
and Cl- ions.

So now you have all these ions swimming around looking to get together with
something else they like.  All these ions find a balance.  This is
particularly true of your buffers (read:carbonates) and your acids (read: H+
ions)  When they establish a balance between your H+ and your CO3-- ions, you
end up with a given KH and pH.  This is determined by how often the two ions
<run into> each other as they swim around in your water.  Add more acid, and
the H+ ions and CO3-- ions start <running into> each other more often.  This
causes the interaction between them to start up again.  Eventually, they have
neutralized each other down to a level where they can tolerate each other
again.  It can't be helped.  That's just how it is.

Adding trace minerals to your water should be sufficient.  One alternative is
to use Rift Lake Cichlid salts at a level about one tenth that recommended on
the bottle.  Electro Right, or RO Right would also work.  Then you need to get
your pH to the level prefered by the particular species you are working with.
Using Aquarium Pharmaceuticals's pHDown, which is phosphate free will lower
it.  Also you can experiment with Muriatic acid, which is a lot cheaper.
Dilute it about 4:1 with RO water, then test it in an empty tank until you
find the level you want.

A specific hardness is not really critical, but one that is too high can
discourage spawning in dwarf cichlids.  Anything below 60ppm should work just
fine.

Keep It Straightforward and Simple.  Don't try to do too much.  pH and
temperature will affect sex ratios, but hardness won't as far as I know.
Water that is too hard or has too many of those free-roaming ions in it
(resulting in high conductivity) will discourage spawning behaviors.  Water
that is VERY soft (zero to ten ppm) and at the correct pH will induce many
dwarfs and tetras to reproduce that would not do it otherwise.  Don't worry
about hardness any more than it takes to keep it below 60ppm.  Yes, folks, I
know- a lot of our dwarfs will spawn even higher, but this guy is starting
with RO, so let's allow him to optimize here.  Alkalinity (KH) will also
discourage spawning if it is much above 60ppm (about 3.5 degrees) for some
species, and others will handle it up to 120 or so.  But there is no
requirement to get KH up to a certain level.  Only to get pH down to a certain
level.  Sure, a higher KH leads to more pH stability, but it will also be at a
higher pH level.  That you don't want.

So quit trying to control so many things.  Get the temperature right.  Keep it
soft, the softer the better.  I suspect your RO water may be something above
zero ppm hardness, as some RO units aren't perfect.  If it is at zero, Don't
even panic about it.  Anyone on the list have bad experiences with straight
RO?  If you want it a little higher than zero, add a little stuff.  But only a
little.  Use salts like CaCl which won't interact with the acid.  They won't
add any KH, but that's okay.  Really it is.

So that's it- Temperature, pH and Soft (below 60ppm both GH and KH).  With RO,
the Soft part should be a breeze.

Bob Dixon


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