Thinking about re-doing my tank and adding an onyx base

[PUNISHER VETTE]

Well I have to say i love the look of my tank but what i don't like is that my pH is up in to the 7.8 range. There are also a few things about the position of the tank, the driftwood needing a slate slab into it, i cant reach the back of the tank to plant my vals so having a little more room back there would be nice. but the pH being one of them definitely keeps me from getting some fish i would love to keep(discus)

I guess i could use some pH lowering stuff but i don't know if that stuff works or what...

I remember in my first aquarium they had me use an onyx base which was to help buffer the pH right? i didn't use it with this new tank which might be why my pH is so high...

Since almost all my fish died off the other day it wouldn't take much to transfer the plants to my old tank for a day while i scooped the gravel out, replaced the bottom layer with a good inch of onyx and replanted everything....

I guess it isn't just the pH but a few minor factors i would like to change...anyone else know what im saying? It definitely wont be anytime in the next few weeks but...

[PUNISHER VETTE]

yeah like this isn't some small 5-30g fake aquarium which can be moved on a moments notice almost... this is a 110g thats filled with live plants which if moved definitely hurts their ability to keep growing for a little i would think.

Since i do have my other 30g still the plants shouldn't be that much of a problem. as well as the fish i would guess.

so really the only thing i'm getting at is it worth the effort to change it or should i just tough it out? I just looked up the onyx and it might actually raise the pH.... so if it does that then i definitely wouldn't want it.

[smaug]

I guess i could use some pH lowering stuff but i don't know if that stuff works or what...


it works,in the case of my water it works wonderfully.My tap water is between 7.2-7.5 with just a teaspoon a week of seachem acid buffer I stay at 6.5-6.6.It took about 3 weeks of that dosing to stabilize my water to that range.Ive been doing that for a year and a half.It seems to me that trying this is alot better then tearing a tank down and starting over.

[PUNISHER VETTE]

Yeah...i guess i just don't know. There are just so many variables that i'd have to consider.

Mobility being one of them. Since it's a 30in tall tank getting to the bottom is already hard but with my driftwood in the way and not being able to get to the back corner on one side is pretty crappy. I do have room to move the tank forward about 9 inches which might be enough to squeeze back there.

My substrate heater has shifted a fraction

I didn't have my aerator or CO2 system in place before hand so they don't blend in very well yet....

[smaug]

Have you ever tried one of these to reach the bottom for planting and such?
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/215660/product.web

[PUNISHER VETTE]

Have you ever tried one of these to reach the bottom for planting and such?
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/215660/product.web


yeah i have one... doesn't work very well for me. Plus there just isn't enough room to use it for the back of the tank which is really where i would definitely need it. The driftwood i have takes up a TON of space with it's branches and maneuvering around them this pole can't..

[smaug]

yeah i have one... doesn't work very well for me. Plus there just isn't enough room to use it for the back of the tank which is really where i would definitely need it. The driftwood i have takes up a TON of space with it's branches and maneuvering around them this pole can't..
yeah,planted tanks big and small can be a pain.Maybe you could get a small monkey and scuba train him?


On a serious note,maybe an RO system is in the future for you,maybe the only way you can go if you want discus.

[PUNISHER VETTE]

yeah,planted tanks big and small can be a pain.Maybe you could get a small monkey and scuba train him?


On a serious note,maybe an RO system is in the future for you,maybe the only way you can go if you want discus.


I was just reading up on them... I can't even keep tetras so i better not attempt discus's until i can for sure know they'll live.

But i'm going to try and lower my pH slowly. And maybe in a few weeks consider moving the tank just for my piece of mind.

[The Wedge]

Onyx is a very good grounding stone...I wonder if you can give fishies crystal therapy :18: They need positive energy to :hmm3grin2orange: