RichNJ

So what is the effect of 18-22gh hardness and 8.0ph on tetras, cardinal tetras specifically...but also corydoras. Does it do harm or just prevent them from breeding? Shorten lifespan?

Hi all - trying something new in my 20L which I'd love to eventually add Amano shrimp to, but have failed. I am slowly transitioning the tank from post-water softer water (see above for the story for background) to bypassed water. I'll eventually test for copper too, but haven't yet. There has been some debate above if the added sodium from water softener source water adds too much sodium. Based on my hardness levels pre-water softener from a bypassed tap, I am at 18dh (which is about 19 grains per gallon or 321ppm, so pretty hard). My water softener manufacturer has a chart published that shows 20 grains of hardness results in softened water containing just under 600mg of sodium, so I am more or less around there. Is that too much for Amanos? If so, maybe the 600mg was the culprit all along. Once I water change this out (one 5g bucket per week), I'll remove all sodium from the tank. I may even run a little internal Sicce filter with a carbon pad to clean it out further, but haven't decided. I treated the tank once 18 months ago with Expel P since I had a camallanus worm outbreak. But that was a long time ago, and you'd think I've water changed all of the meds out at this point, plus they breakdown over time. The meds worked great too and purchased from the Coop. Worms never returned. @nabokovfan87 @Lennie @Supermassive

@Lennie yeah I tend to agree with you here. Something probably changed with our local water and maybe there is some copper showing up. Also, there has been chatter of PFOA and PFOS showing up.

@Rube_Goldfish not well. Bought a new batch of young Amanos for my QT and they wiped out two days. Many years ago when I first started bought two full grown Amanos from an LFS. They lived for 2.5 years or so. I am tempted to test that again, but haven’t. overall there probably is something in my water they don’t like.

Looking for opinions on Trout Goodeid (Ameca Splendens) vs. American Flagfish. Which is more aggressive and nippy? Which is better at hair algae control?

@DBrown918 @Chris thank you both. if the unit lays on the floor, is there enough pressure for the waste water return to work it's way up to the sink (while still having enough pressure to flow the RO water into a brute can?)

Any recommendations for a DIY portable RO system that can be attached to a bathroom faucet, and where waste water drains into the sink and treated water into a large bucket.

@nabokovfan87 @Supermassive Update to this thread.....so overtime with water changes and more plant growth in my 20L i have Nitrates down to 40 (confirmed with an API test using 25%/75% tank/tap combo at about 10ppm, so therefore its 40). That's an improvement from the 60-80+ we were seeing about 6 weeks ago. My quarantine tank with floating plants became available so I just bought 8 medium size Amanos from my LFS. This QT has only 20ppm nitrates and is well cycled and established. There are also 3 old guppies, 1 old lemon tetra and 2 mystery snails in here as well. This will be my test. The tank has established algae and I will supplement feed too. If the Amanos do well here for a month or so, I will test them in the 20L (providing I have nitrates there 40 or less). This will confirm that my issue was nitrates all a long. If they don't do well in the QT, that it's my tap water and/or water softener combo and RODI would be needed for shrimp. Will report back when I know more.

I find that my yellow mollies sometimes don't make it after giving birth, especially after more than once and in tanks with lower salt levels.

Bladder and pond snails are so small, I think they breakdown pretty fast after they die. I've bigger snails that die (like mystery snails) get pecked at a for a few hours by fish and eventually get cleaned out of the shell.

Well now I am thinking - is it just the small amount of dirt in Root Tabs that are accumulating over time?

I have a bunch of Amazon swords and Crypts and Pygmy chain swords in my 55g. I use root tabs once per month for almost two years. Lately I’ve noticed one crypt not doing well. Today I thought to look underneath and see these black spots circled in red. One is right under the crypt, the other is underneath a Pygmy chain sword. Is that black mess rotten roots? I’ve read also about anaerobic bacteria too. I also don’t mind pulling the plant and gravel vacuuming it out. And then maybe replanting the good parts of the plant.

thanks, I think I have a plan now. Certainly step up water changes, that one is easy and straightforward (well actually all the steps of my plan are kind of easy). I'll back off of salt for now and only use it for treatment. As for a RODI setup, I've been thinking about it logistically in the house and the cost. I'd probably want to get a storage tank and would need a pump to a staging bin, rather than carrying up from a basement. First things first, water changes and salt reduction. Funny, I was convinced that my nitrates were now 30 in this tank, but i think that was not consistent and was right after a water change (duh, should have realized that). I think based on my above 50/50 test, that its back in the 60-80 area. As for the bypass, well I think my 20L with liverbearers can take the 22gh just fine. I am debating though if I should do it for my 55g tetra tanks, although not all tetras (Congos/lemons/cardinatls/white skirts/one angelfish/harlequin razboras/cories). I think the 22gh might push those guys. I have it at 6gh with post-softener water. 8ph though since no CO2 in this tank, for now at least. Anyway, will look into the RODI as i said. Appreciate the insight and troubleshooting. @nabokovfan87 @Supermassive

@Supermassive I think in the 20L where they died right away, yeah that tank was running high, and since is lower to this level. Trying to get it lower. For the other tank I put the rest of the shrimp, a 9 gallon Fluval Flex with African dwarf frogs, they weren’t as high as my 20L but probably in the 40ish area. They lived longer in the frog tank but died right away in the 20L. so it feels the variable here is nitrates and I need to keep growing out plants, control livestock, and step up water changes.

We once had one disappear for 6 months or more and then magically reappear. We thought he died underground. Also, we learned to find him sometimes by looking at the glass on the bottom of the tank.