How long until buffering factors work?

[ThatGuyWithTheFish]

Don't worry, I'm not using salts to buffer. I just added a bit of peat and humic into my tank a few days ago. When should I expect my parameters to change?

[cantsay39]

~.~ lol... maybe a day or two..

[GeToChKn]

Depends on how hard the water is for one.

[ThatGuyWithTheFish]

What? I've had it in for 3 days and only my GH has changed like half a degree. I used very little though, to diminish their effects and keep the pH manageable for neos. My KH is 4.

[randyl]

Originally Posted by ThatGuyWithTheFish

What? I've had it in for 3 days and only my GH has changed like half a degree. I used very little though, to diminish their effects and keep the pH manageable for neos. My KH is 4.

A spoon full of peat isn't going to do anything for a 30G tank.... you're not giving enough information.

Also, KH4 is perfectly fine for neos. My tap is GH8/KH5 and no issue at all.

[acitydweller]

Kh is 4. What are the other two params?
What else is in the tank that potentially would buffer against what you are intending to do?

[GeToChKn]

More you mess with the water and keep going up and down, the worse it is. Let the neo's adjust and they'll go nuts.

Hi, I'm GeToChKn, you might remember from such threads as "DIY Peat Filter" for making soft water.

The problem with it is, it's never 100% consistent, and even though the peat would lower the water, batches would be 0.2pH off, 20TDS off, etc and eventually I gave up, put my neo's back in pure tap water, crystals back in RO water, and everyone is breeding again. I have probably 150 baby fire reds right now and 7-9 berried ones after stopping messing with their water with half peat/half tap and went straight tap. It's almost 8pH/8gH/8kH, but it's stable and they are going like bunnies again. CRS are slower breeders but getting there. I was selling at least a hundred shrimp a month till I got the great "peat" idea to make my own soft water and my population took a huge hit.

Moral of the story, if you water is anything above 7pH ish, give it to the neo's. Use RO for crystals and things will be good. Playing chemist and your population will take a huge hit.

My 2 cents Canadian, which lately is actually worth more than 2 cent American. lol.

[ThatGuyWithTheFish]

Originally Posted by GeToChKn

More you mess with the water and keep going up and down, the worse it is. Let the neo's adjust and they'll go nuts.

Hi, I'm GeToChKn, you might remember from such threads as "DIY Peat Filter" for making soft water.

The problem with it is, it's never 100% consistent, and even though the peat would lower the water, batches would be 0.2pH off, 20TDS off, etc and eventually I gave up, put my neo's back in pure tap water, crystals back in RO water, and everyone is breeding again. I have probably 150 baby fire reds right now and 7-9 berried ones after stopping messing with their water with half peat/half tap and went straight tap. It's almost 8pH/8gH/8kH, but it's stable and they are going like bunnies again. CRS are slower breeders but getting there. I was selling at least a hundred shrimp a month till I got the great "peat" idea to make my own soft water and my population took a huge hit.

Moral of the story, if you water is anything above 7pH ish, give it to the neo's. Use RO for crystals and things will be good. Playing chemist and your population will take a huge hit.

My 2 cents Canadian, which lately is actually worth more than 2 cent American. lol.

That's actually good to know. I always want to have CRS, but the Sieryu in my tank prevents that. I thought I could get away with additives, but it doesn't like it. Maybe I just get OEBTs and sell the offspring to fund a CRS tank. :P