need advise on setting up existing tank with live plants

**sir kyle** · 04-30-2012, 11:45 PM

i heard if i purchase driftwood, i can boil it for ten minutes to release most of the tannic acid. is this true? i usually soak it for a week or so until the water looks somewhat clear

**dmagerl** · 05-01-2012, 01:14 AM

Originally Posted by sir kyle

im currently adding baking soda to drop the ph.

Adding baking soda will raise the ph not drop it.

Also, throw away that CO2/ph cart. Its highly inaccurate and only works well if the only stuff you have dissolved in your water are carbonates. In real life there's lots of other stuff in your tank besides carbonates. Besides, you cant boost CO2 by changing the ph.

You're shooting for a low tech tank. Accept the water parameters for what they are and concentrate on adding ferts. That's really all you need to do.

**sir kyle** · 05-01-2012, 03:20 AM

Oooops, last week i posted that my No3 was 1.5. Actually it was the Nh3 and that level is now 0. My No2 is still about the same but slightly lower. I have done a water change. I had to replace my 55gal tank b/c I tried to fix a leak but made it worse. I saved all the water, gravel and bacteria that was in the gravel and saved the filter with its bacteria.

Im now adding ph down to get it to 7-7.5. Also, im soaking a piece of Mopani to add to the tank next week. If I remember right, the tannic acid will lower the ph, but im not certain of this.

By adding ferts, are you refering to liquid ferts or root?

BTW, I thank you all for helping me

**Lady Hobbs** · 05-01-2012, 04:43 AM

Do you happen to have that filter running on another tank? If not, the bacteria will began to die off. It needs the ammonia released from the fish to continue to live. If it isn't on another tank, you could sit it up to run in a pail of water with a bit of ammonia (pure) added to the pail each day.

How long the tannins last depends on the wood. Some woods take longer to release it all. I just throw my wood in the tank since I do large water changes every week anyway. It hurts nothing. I've heard of some that simmer their wood for hours. I doubt half an hour will do anything much.

It was not necessary to save the water from that 55. Just set it back up with new when you're ready for it.

**bignellm** · 05-01-2012, 02:52 PM

For a comment on driftwood tannin soak out rates. I personally have soaked my last piece in a sterilte tote for 3 months. I wanted to see when the tannins would stop coming. Well, they sort of never stopped in that time. They lightened up, but kept coming an additional 2 months.

But as Hobbs and many others have stated, it does nothing to your tank. Hurts nothing and even some prefer it, as it gives the water a more natural appearance.

**wijnands** · 05-01-2012, 03:37 PM

In fact some species prefer it. I found the micro rasboras really appreciate the more blackwater mood that comes from tannin

**sir kyle** · 05-04-2012, 01:47 AM

at LH, no, the filter is running in that tank. its a whisper 60 with 2 bio sponges and 2 bio bags that i dont change. i just change the carbon every month. any ideas on which bio media i can/should use with this HOB filter? ceramic, plastic or....?
as far as the (pure) ammonia, what type of ammonia are you refering to?

i've been reading the posts here in AQ and WOW, am i learning a lot! you guys are a wealth of info. if one person doesnt know about something there will surely be another who does...or likely many more.

thanks guys and gals

**Cermet** · 05-04-2012, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by sir kyle

My No2 is still about the same but slightly lower.

I saved all the water, gravel and bacteria that was in the gravel and saved the filter with its bacteria.

Im now adding ph down to get it to 7-7.5.

First and most importantly - why are you changing the pH? The pH of your water supply (from where you are getting it) should remain the pH of your tank! Don't change it in the future - this stress's the fish and is just a total waste of money (as is adding charcoal/carbon to the filter - don't need it at all unless removing meds and other organics.)

A non-zero NO2 (nitrIte! NitAte is NO3) is a very serious issue and you need to get that down under 0.3 ppm (or 0,3 ppm.) This means the filter still isn't fully cycled! Maybe you meant NO3?

Never use plastic 'bio-balls' if you can get ceramic ones. The ceramic balls or noodles are much better and you should use as much as possible (but do use 'floss' in the filter to remove debris!)

In the future, only the bacteria living in the filter media is important - gravel has a trival amount and isn't important (whether the gravel is 'saved' or not does not matter.)

This non-zero nitrIte (NO2) needs to be measured and posted so we can help! Post the numebers (after confirming it is NO2, not NO3 you measured) in the beginners section on cycling.

**Lady10Godiva** · 05-04-2012, 03:24 PM

I have driftwood that I hot water soaked (after some boiling water) for two weeks changing it everytime it cooled,except for overnight, and it is still releasing a ton of tannins. The ph out of my tap is 8.2 and with driftwood it only gets to 8.0. I just leave it that way because my water is likely to always be high ph.

**sir kyle** · 05-15-2012, 10:18 PM

Yesterday I received my API master testing kit.
An update on my water conditions...
Ph 8.2
NO2 0.0
NO3 40.0
NH3 0.0

The Ph is a little higher than I'd like it, but I'm not going to lower it.
The NO2 and NH3 are perfect, but the NO3 is too high. I also received tubular ceramic bio beads from fluval. My plan is to put them in a mesh bag my HOB tonight.

How long will it take for the bacteria to take hold of the beads?
How can I reduce the NO3?
Whats the acceptable level it needs to be at?