wont graze

[eklikewhoa]

I use to use the Seachem buffer myself but backed off it due to the cost and the inconsistencies in water param... plus it requires some work and honestly probably best to treat the water outside the tank and allow for the params to settle before using.... if you gonna do it then why not do it right?
With that, there is a super nice 300g water station at the ADG warehouse that would be perfect for this!

With the Epsom salt I use 1tbsp/5g and do this twice a week for 100% water change. My params have never spiked or even got close to what is suggested to mimic those of the lake. The fiance works at Walgreens so I get it really cheap. I highly doubt that our use of Epsom could raise sg. high enough or even close to what is measured in the lake already.

As for pH, I am using the Eco-Complete cichlid substrate which has done a phenominal job at buffering the water to good params and keeps the pH at 8.0 all day long even after a water change.

With the breaking down of calcium you would have to induce carbon to drop the pH low enough and with that you are not only effecting pH but KH along with various others.... Reefers do this in Calcium reactors and I believe to get efficient breakdown most rec. some super low params for the reactor. Now the use of a calcium reactor might serve benificial in our troph tanks since it would help increase the params we want in the water and with the use of it on a controller would could easily stabilize it all.



Now for the fry themselves.... I don't feed my fry at all since they are kept with the parent colony till they are sold so they eat whatever the colony passes through their mouth and the rest of the time they are grazing. I feed my tank heavily and even full they will graze.... so yeah, I think your trophs are broken.

[wesleydnunder]

The epson salt will raise GH (magnesium hardness) and salinity(increased osmotic function), and help fish expell liquid buildup.

This statement is incorrect. Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, MgSO4. It will increase GH but not salinity, since it contains no sodium component in the compound. In the heptahydrate form it is MgSO4-7H2O, still no sodium.

Mark

[geoff_tropheus]

MArk,

thanks for the clarification...you are right about the salinity component.

I do however disagree about Dropsy. I have cured Dropsy a number of times, but I have lost more than I have saved. It is all about the timeing of the event. Once to full "pine cone" they're almost impossible to save.

I posted a link of Dropsy, which they talk in some detail about the bacterial infections that cause it. Those infections may cause Kidney failure.

I use the Seachem Buffer once a week on 50% waterchange. I got a rather messed up schedule, so I may not be able to get all 9 of my tanks once a week. Lots of times they go 2 weeks to a month without one. But if I miss my weekly, then I do more like 75% or 90% waterchange.

The Baking Soda I use is 1/2 tsp per 3 gallons. The Seachem Buffer is 1/2 tsp per 6 gallons. This usually does me good for atleast 2-weeks above 8.0

[schance]

so would using a calcium reactor work pretty well for the KH

i dont quite understand the that whole calcium reactor concept. i do know that calcium makes the water hard and adding co2 drops ph and then the whole low ph helps to break down the calcium. can some one explain that situation for me thanks

and what about the sg? what is sg? and what is it here vs the lake?

[eklikewhoa]

Calcium reactor is aragonite media which gets broken down with the co2.... then the water that is in the medie gets trickled into the tank via controller which would regulate the whole process.... honestly unless you are ready to spend some money to keep it stable and spend the time to properly set it up it's not worth it.
A kalkwasser reactor would do the same thing but again work.

sg, is what you measure with those scale/needle pointer things to measure specific gravity. Salinity would be a much more accurate way of measuring.