Seqkat

Had company over today, so late getting on here! Thank you, so much Tony! I had read about the regulator and mixed that up somehow with the Equilibrium apparently! I appreciate you getting me straight on that. I did read their site on their Equilibrium and they did say (it's a little confusing, honestly, lol) that Equilibrium raises the essential mineral/electrolyte content General Hardness (which may not be good for me since my GH is so high already) of the water to balance with and promote stability of the carbonate hardness. To maintain KH, we recommend the Alkaline Buffer. So, I think for now, I'll stick with what I'm doing so I don't go and really change the pH on the fishes. But, if we have to get an RO filter for our own safety with our water, you've just given me a good plan on what to do to remineralize everything! I really appreciate that! Thank you! 🙂

I have a planted tank, and I've found in research plants aren't fond of salt. Seachem has an Equilibrium, where it will place your pH right at 7, but they suggest not using it for planted tanks. I don't know if that has salt in it or not? Yeah, I was excited at first when I saw my pH was staying at 6.8 because I knew the Pygmy Cories would love that, and was crushed to see the pH plummet with the water change because of the low KH. Fortunately these that I have are tank bred, and not wild caught, so stable pH at this point is my game play.

Yeah, I know. I was telling my daughter who lives with me. We're going to have to look into this. I was researching last night, and they're recommending RO water, if our tap has nitrites. And the little cory cats are doing great, thank you! They're so cute. They are active, and doing their little bottom feedings, and checking out the plants. 🙂 I tested the water today, KH & pH are holding perfectly. Nitrites are still in the stress zone but lower than they were last night! I can treat with Aqua Essential at 24 hours, so that's my plan.

Thank you. I did treat the water in a bucket with the Seachem Alkaline buffer before adding it to the tank, adjusting the amount to match the volume in the bucket. It worked perfectly. So, I feel comfortable with doing that. And I'm aware the other items will raise the GH, which isn't needed of course with it being so high. I appreciate your explaining in detail how the GH is interplaying with the KH, and how the sodium bicarbonate works around that. I appreciate understanding that in greater detail, thank you! I really don't want my pH to be at 8 because the cories do better with a lower pH, I just had to lock the KH so the pH wouldn't fluctuate, dangerously. It looks like based on the color of the Tetra strip it's holding in between 7.2 and 7.8. The color is a consistent red, but that hue is not on their chart. That hue is landing between the 7.2 and 7.8 colors that are denoted. So, I'm just going for consistency to keep a stable pH.

I haven't done the test you're recommending. I will try that. And the Tetra strip read 3.0 on the tap water, when I put tap water in the bucket and waited almost two hours with the Seachem Alkaline buffer. That was the result I got.

Oh wow. When I used to own land we had a well. Now, I'm in a different state and in a neighborhood, so it's city water. Quite the adjustment - one, having to pay for it monthly lol. Just finished all my night chores and the fish are in and swimming delightfully. Cute little babies they are! Tired now, so tomorrow, I'm going set up a tap to test after 24 hours. I really appreciate your help, Tony! It's been a stressful week and omg a stressful day. The support from everyone here, is wonderful! 🙂 It's just the nitrites and nitrates were in the danger zone, and I've been using the API dechlorinator, when I set it up and did the water change. The Aqua Essentials dechlorinates as well, but it also states that it detoxifies ammonia, nitrites and nitrates instantly. I tested after 20 mins, and things were better. Nitrates were good, but nitrites were in the stress zone. I will test tomorrow to make sure they're still good. Thank you, so much for all your help and your reassurance! I appreciate that. I've been stressed for 3 days. I didn't want to hurt these little fishies. They're doing well swimming all around. Such cute baby pygmy cories, they're so tiny! 🙂

We do filter our water through the fridge. I'm going to set out some water for 24 hours and test it. Because I'll be adding nitrites every time, and have to be on top of treating that. I know they like lower pH, just the significant drop is what I'm trying to avoid. I've had corydoras before years ago, when I had 29 gallon non planted. I'm talking this is like 20+ years ago. We only tested for pH. It's a whole new ball game now! I loved the corydoras, sweet fish and versatile. 🙂 I went with pygmy corycats this time because I only have a 10 gallon tank.

Yes, I've had nitrates all along. They were in the safe zone at first. Then when the nitrites went higher so did the nitrates. They entered the danger zone as well. I started with a bio-substrate with live bacteria to help speed things up. So, perhaps that's why the nitrates were there? The nitrates are in a safe zone now, thankfully. The nitrites in the stress zone. The pygmy cories are floating. They're cute.

That's exactly what I did treated the new water. And yeah, right? Nitrites in tap water I thought that was weird too! I noticed, when I started the tank, the ammonia was high like it was supposed to be and the nitrites were always in the stress zone. The nitrates are okay.

Thank you, Tony. I've seen that chart, but then I saw more information at their site of things to multiply and divide I'm lost. Math is not my subject. Lol. But thank you! Tested nitrates are safe, nitrites are at stress level, kh and ph are good. I think I can move my fish. Time to float them.

I've seen the information to play with both the Acidic and Akaline buffers, but it is so confusing to me. So, I'm just trying to lock my kh where it's landing, and maintain that and the pH where it lands, just to stop it from having drastic changes. It looks like with the Seachem it's landing me on 7.2 with the pH and that's fine, just trying to stabalize it. That is consistent with the tank response too. Thank you, for your help!

Thank you, everyone for your replies truly! I have not opened the bag, I knew not to let new air to hit the ammonia. They are just as if they are shipped, and the shipper guarantees they can live in the shipment box for 7 days. I treated the new tap water with the Seachem alkaline and let it sit for an hour, and did a partial water change. I tested the water before I added it to the tank and the kh and ph were good. Nitrites even in the tap water were in the stress level. I've added an air stone to get a little more movement, and added the Aqua Essential doing the level suggested that will dechlorinate as well as detoxify as it says the nitrites, 10 minutes ago. I saw a YouTube video that explains it should break it down so the filter can better manage it. The fish are pygmy cories. My only question now is, should I add more API Quick Start, or will that mess up what the API Aqua Essential is trying to do? The quick start is supposed to be adding more bacteria. It converts ammonia, which I don't have to nitrites to nitrates. I'm unsure if it will work w/o ammonia? And if the Aqua Essential gets the nitrites down, or holds it so won't harm the fish, as the YouTuber was trying to explain, I'm not sure I'm understanding that correctly? Would the Quick Start mess that up? Bear with me I'm neurodivergent, it's hard for me to understand things without a great deal of processing. I plan on retesting again soon. I'm scared to put the fish in if the nitrites are still in the danger zone. Thank you again everyone!! The problem was the pH dropped so low. All I'm trying do is trying to maintain a pH because I do understand a huge change in pH is too stressful for fish. The pH was hanging around 6.8 but the water change dropped it to 6.1. That was a drastic drop.

Thank you, Colu. And for Aqua Essential, would that be good to treat the tank to get the nitrates down? And should I add more API quick start? I appreciate your reply, truly!

Okay, I have very hard water GH wise. It's 300. But I've been dealing with very low KH and thus low pH, and doing a water change caused a drastic drop in pH to an acidic 6.2. I discovered that surprise this week after fish were ordered and on the way. My pH was staying around 6.5, but I noticed my KH was low, and NOW I understand KH is what stabilizes pH. Research recommends crushed coral, which I don't have room for in my 10 gallon tank. I have a tiny submersible filter, no room for HOB, as the lid would not fit, and is much needed for I have pet cats. But also, I read crushed coral can raise the GH, which is already too high. Not much I can do about GH that I understand. I don't really want to play chase the KH and chase the pH game, but I think I don't have much choice. So, I used Seachem Alkaline Buffer to help treating the tank yesterday. The color went from bright orange to red, last night, but looks like it might be heading to orange again today. And nitrates are staying high. Ammonia has been safe for a week. I sadly have fish waiting to go in the tank that were shipped. I didn't understand when the ammonia went down the nitrites would go up. I get it now. The research didn't click until being in the experience. 😢 I see where water changes are recommended to lower the nitrites, but I fear it will drop the pH again. Can I do the water change, add the Seachem Alkaline Buffer to the replacement water in a bucket? Maybe let that sit in the bucket for an hour? Can I add Aqua Essential to the tank, and perhaps API Quick Start? (These are the products I have on hand today). I added the API Quick Start, last night nitrites still high today. I have Aqua Natural Diamond Black Bio-Substrate Aquarium Gravel which is loaded with live bacteria. Planted tank is 11 days old. From where I got the fish they say they can live in the shipment box 7 days, they arrived today and are on day 3. They're still in the shipment box. Box opened, with Styrofoam lid slightly ajar, but bags not touched, they are alive. Any advice to help these fish quickly is appreciated. Hard lessons learned to fully cycle a tank, I understand the lingo now with the hard experience. Things went click with the experience with my neurodivergent mind. Thank you for help in advance!!