crs

[cbrock]

help! How can I make a homemade ro unit for these shrimp?
my ph is 7.8 . I tried to use topsoil as a substrate but created a muddy mess!
I'm getting the shrimp tomorrow, I know I should have had the tank ready first,right now for substrate I used a cocoa matt with white sand on top and a large piece of driftwood with several plants. I used discus buffer but it has phosphate in it so now I have to drain it out.I used aged aquarium water and two sponge filters one of which I soaked in an established aquarium for several days,and a whisper filter with sponge on the intake. I added pond water and rain water but the rainwater had pine straw in it. Please help! How should I mix my water? Should I buy a brita filter?

[cbrock]

I forgot to add that I have a layer of boiled red oak leaves under
the sand. I read somewhere they can be used to soften water. I realize I have messed up and am probably gonna kill all the little shrimps. I truly regret not having the tank established but I didn't think they would be shipped so soon.

[chrisfraser05]

can't you buy RO water from your LFS?

[cbrock]

The nearest pet store is 45 miles away buy you are right,they probably do have the ro water. For now I am using aged rain water, and tannin from the boiled leaves both of which have a low ph so I added aged aqaurium water to get the ph to 7.4 temp is 74, and after I got the shrimp they were so tiny I could hardly see them,I removed the whisper filter. So far they are doing good,and are lively and eating well. I forgot to ad, the rain water had aged pine straw in it which lowered the ph too. I'm so scared about having to change the water next week and I"m out of rainwater and there's no rain in site so I will have to get the ro water and try to keep all levels the same. I have water that's got pine straw aging in it and I have the tannin so maybe I can keep everything the same.