Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum, so I'll start with some background, but I'm looking for some advice (or reassurance) as I start a new 30 gallon aquarium.

Prior to moving I previously has a planted 10 gallon freshwater tank that was doing quite well. But knowing that I would be gaining a free 30 gallon set up after I moved, I dismantled my 10 gallon. Now that I've moved I've begun setting up my 30 gallon ans I don't know how things are going!

I set a 30 lb small gravel base and added water (a mix of treated tap pH of 7.6 and RO ph 7.0) that I had used with my 10 gallon. I have a Penguin 150 with a biowheel pump and an additional phosphate pad in it. I had used this set up successfully on my 10 gallon. An aquarium store employee gave me a vial of bacteria culture to put in the tank, when I told him I didn't have experience using a store bought culture, he said it would work faster than if I got cultures from another person's tank so I put that in as well. I let the filter cycle for 24+ hours.

After the cycling I added some moderate/low lighting plants, I don't know what all of them are but I will include pictures. I allowed the plants to cycle in the system for 24+ hours before adding 4 platys (2 blue and 2 sun fire). This was faster than I would have liked to add fish, but I fell victim to getting excited.

Currently the tank has been in operation for 4 full days, today would make the 5th. My concern is that when I test the pH of the system, I always do this at least 3 hours after the light has been on, it is consistently coming up at pH 6.6 - 6.8 (depending on how you interpret the colors). I am concerned I might be losing my plants, but I can't tell any discoloration or weakness. I don't have a KH test, but I will get one today to gauge CO2 concentration. I worry about adding CO2 right now since I don't know whether or not the plants are actually phosphorylat-ing and adding CO2 would potentially lower the pH further.

The ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels are all at the lowest levels on the card. Also that clear tube in the picture was used to power the "sand waterfall" in that fixture, it stopped working and the air output was minimal, it is no longer "on" in the tank

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

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IslandRzrbk

35g Planted Freshwater tank - 4 platies, 2 veiled angelfish (juvenile), 1 pictus catfish (juvenile), 1 golden Chinese algae eater (juvenile), 1 candy-striped plecostomas (juvenile), 1 female veiltail betta

The plants all look really healthy to me! (Wow, you have clear water! It almost looks like there's no water in the tank!) Anyhoo, I'd add even more plants if you can afford it.

Don't know what to tell you about the low pH... have you tried putting crushed sea shells in some nylon stocking in the filter to help raise the pH?

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20g Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981
36g Bow Front Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981

Curious why you are adding RO water? Is there a need to lower your ph? If there isn't a purpose, I'd stop. If you feel your ph is going up and down too easily, adding the RO water and lowering your kh in the process will just make the situation worse. RO water is usually close to zero kh. I personally don't think you have a need for a kh test kit as long as you stop adding the RO water, but you can test it if you like. I think you're getting way to far ahead of yourself regarding CO2. Even if the levels were not what you would call adequate there isn't much to really do to change that may be safe. Plus, that kh/ph chart is useless when it comes to determing your CO2 concentration in your tank....just don't trust it.

Overall, I'd say stop worrying so much about some of the things you are seeing. I would just concentrate on keeping your fish healthy while your tank goes through the nitrogen cycle. Also, the plant you have in the back in the middle is not a true aquatic plant, also known as a ribbon plant. It will rot eventually.

As long as your keeping a close eye on the tank doing its cycle, just about anything else that comes up should be an easy fix.

A pH of 7.6 is not then end of the world. Most fish will adapt to the ph of the water, unless something else is going on in the tank that ph is fine.

Thanks for the replies!

The reason I'm adding RO as a portion of my water mixture is to help neutralize the already more basic tap water that they have here, I began doing this when my mother was using RO for her saltwater. Yes, I know freshwater and saltwater are two very different things, but I have had bad experiences using treated and untreated tap water only. In fact in my last tank I was using straight DI water (since I had access to it free) and it worked quite well. But once again I wouldn't be on here if I truly knew what I was doing.

My pH as of my last test was 6.6-ish, not 7.6 (I would be less freaked out at 7.6). And from what literature online I could find was that my CO2 concentration may be very high causing increased acidity in the water, causing my pH to drop and that I should check my CO2 levels. This led me to find stuff saying I needed to use a kH reading to calculate it. This is all very confusing as I have never had a CO2 or kH problem or need to monitor it before. But as this is my first large tank to do by myself I am very nervous.

I'm just paranoid, mostly in general, but also that my plants aren't taking root and essentially "not doing their job" and that they aren't converting the CO2 causing a build-up. And going to die on me. As for that stupid plant in the back, I bought it at a fish store (not Petco/Petsmart), without a tag, and they assured me it was an aquatic plant. =/

I'm going to give it a few more days and if I haven't lost anything by this weekend I'm going to test again and potentially add a couple more fish and plants. I just don't understand why my pH went down with the water I put into it started out at 7.0+

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IslandRzrbk

35g Planted Freshwater tank - 4 platies, 2 veiled angelfish (juvenile), 1 pictus catfish (juvenile), 1 golden Chinese algae eater (juvenile), 1 candy-striped plecostomas (juvenile), 1 female veiltail betta

Hey there!

Well I survived my neurosis and my tank appears to be thriving on Day 10 of set up. I haven't lost that partial terrestrial plant in the back center of the tank either, but I'm keeping a close eye for the first sign of rot though!


Have some new tenants in there.

A few of questions to go with it too...

1) I think my blue platies are male and female, your thoughts?

2) If they are male and female, your thoughts on names?

3) I also have two "sunfire" platies that I think are male (but they may be too young to really be sure). If they are, is there a potential they will mate with the blue female? If so, does anyone have pics of the result?

Thanks for any feedback and thank you for looking!


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IslandRzrbk

35g Planted Freshwater tank - 4 platies, 2 veiled angelfish (juvenile), 1 pictus catfish (juvenile), 1 golden Chinese algae eater (juvenile), 1 candy-striped plecostomas (juvenile), 1 female veiltail betta

From the close up, your blues are 1 male and one female.

Hard to tell on the fts about the orange platys. It looks like one of each but not 100% sure.

And platys do not care one whit about color. They will cross mate. I don't know enough about platy color genetics to predict outcomes for you though.

Also, unless these fish were very young when you got them the females could still be carrying sperm from males they mated with long ago, making fry color prediction even harder. Though, if they were always kept in color specific tanks before you got them, that works in your favor for keeping the babies the same color as parents.

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40g bow front, planted, 1 cannibalistic lyretail molly and 1 fry with kickbutt survival instincts

2 male halfmoon bettas, 1 female halfmoon betta

New Tank Tenants

Replied there.

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Ooooh, well... blue and red make purple, so maybe the blue platties and orange platties would make dark purple babies!! Lol. (Jk.)

You have crystal clear water! Very nice!

Your close ups are amazing too! (ADORABLE Angel fish!!)

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20g Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981
36g Bow Front Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981