A liitle bit of help needed please

I would like to know what are the effects of serten things in a t ank or in the filters so if you guys could help me out it would be great.

1. what is the effect on your waters hardness or softness if you add lava rock to your filter?
2. what would the effect be if you added peat?
3. what would the effect be if you added Crushed coral?

4. Is it a good idea to put Canadian peat under your substrate so that the plants will grow better?

 

Certain things will affect the karbonate hardness of the water, but the general hardness must also be considered.

By adding peat you may lower the hardness, the problem is that you can't change the chemistry too quickly.

Adding coral should increase the hardness, what fish are you wanting to keep that you need to change the water?

 

well I want to make a Frontosa tank but I read they need hard water and then I also have to setup a tank for my Sunburst cichlids
and I need to know what would the lava rock do?

 

The Lava rock would buffer the PH toward the Alkaline side of things... More likely to between 7 and 8 ph. It will work for a frontosa setup, not for dwarf cichlids. Don't add peat to the filter compartment. Pre filter your water through it before adding it to the tank. Use Carbon and peat in a power filter in a bucket with your water change water for a day or 2. That will soften the water.

Add crushed coral in the substrate. Or just use crushed coral as a substrate. That will buffer the water for tanganyican fish.

 

Thanks Slagter that is what I needed to know
Just 1 Question on the peat, why should I not use it under my substrate because I asked the person that I bought the Sunburst from what should I do and he advised me to put it under my substrate or to put it into a stocking and leave it in the tank?

 

Joe?

I disagree to an extent with that. It will remove carbonates in the water, but once it starts to rot, it releases all that junk back into the water... To add to that, it also fouls the water once decomposition starts.

I have, in one of my tanks, some prodac stuff under the substrate. I also know someone else who has the same stuff in his and his tank is stunning. Mine is growing quite nicely as well.

I'd still only add the peat in the water storage tank. Replace the stocking every 2 weeks. Use quite a bit of it though... Your water in Potch, is as hard as rock, you need to soften the water. Out there, the better bet would actually be to get an RO unit. But the peat method should work as well.

 

Yes Joe
Ok I will put it into a stocking and remove every week and replace will that work as well?
what types of plants should I add to this tank for the Sunbursts?

 

As long as you are doing fairly large water changes once a week, then it will work. But you will be constantly messing with the water parameters. It is more beneficial to do it in an external container. That way, you have your water parameters the same in your tank and in your water change containers. This means less fluctuation, resulting in less stress for the fish.

Any plants are good.

 

Ok I think I will do it the way you say add the peat and Carbon in a internal canister and prepare the water for a day and then add it to the tank.

 

The main thing is to keep the water parameters constant. Also, always use Sphagnum Moss... Make sure of that. The other kinds don't really work.

 

I take it you are talking about the peat now right I bought a bag of Canadian Peat moss Like Joe told me to do

 

Cool, that's the right one... I was talking about peat...