Tiger Tank...official start (now with shrimp)

[Nubster]

Tank is painted...



The filter has been constructed...



Canister is waiting...



Lava rock is seeding...



And substrate is ready...



My RO/DI is up and running and I ran some tests on my water supply. Out of the tap I am getting:

pH 7.6
KH 5
GH 6 or 7
TDS 117

Out of the RO/DI:

pH 6.5
KH 0-1
GH 0-1
TDS 2

Both KH and GH took one drop to change color (API test kit) so that figures in to be around 0 for the actual values.

So now let me just check to make sure this is correct. I have Kent's RO Right. I take my RO water, add RO Right until I get back to a GH of 4-5. That's it? KH and TDS will just fall into line? Then after that, I can use my TDS to know what my clean water reading is and use that for future mixing of RO water for WC's or other tank fills?

[mordalphus]

No, you add RO right until your _GH_ is 4-5, KH should stay 0


BTW, sweet UGF :P

[Nubster]

Yeah...I miss typed the KH/GH and got them flip flopped.

Yeah, I thought that filter was pretty sweet too. Props to the developer

[mordalphus]

You gonna lay some old sea mud down under the akadama? I think that's important when using akadama

[Nubster]

hmmm...why's that? What does it do? Where can I get some? Is it a fish tank sort of supplement or something I can find at the local healthy living shop?

[mordalphus]

You can use montmorillonite clay in a crunch.

Akadama literally strips minerals out of the water. I believe that when using old sea mud under the substrate minimizes this stripping of minerals, or at least controls it to a point.

[Nubster]

Ah...I see. So will the Akadama become saturated at some point and stop stripping stuff from the water or will this be a constant concern? I see that Mosura has old sea mud. Price doesn't seem too out of line unless I need a bottle a month or something. Says it will last 6m under the substrate then dose to the water column.

[mordalphus]

Correct, it lasts about 6 months under the substrate. After which point it'll decrease it's effectiveness.

A bottle a year is more like it. The stuff is cheap, and as an under layer beneath your substrate it can help curb the stripping effect of akadama and other active soils.

[speedie408]

I've been using Akadama without any noticeable mineral stripping for over 2 months now. Though I did notice that it took over a month to cycle the damn tank due to nitrate creep. I was still able to keep livestock in the tanks after the first week, just had to keep doing 20% WCs every week, remineralized back up with MMP every time. Maybe that was the reason why I wasn't noticing any GH fluctuations.

[Snowflake311]

Did you paint the sides? If so Why?

[Nubster]

Painted the sides, yes. I do that to my tanks because it helps make the shrimp/fish/plants pop against the background, it gives the occupants more security, and it hides stuff from view such as wires and filter tubes.

[hedge_fund]

great looking start you have going there

[DesmondTheMoonBear]

Nice!!!

One day I'll have a dedicated shrimp tank.

[h4n]

So far so good!! I want another tank!!!

[hedge_fund]

Originally Posted by mordalphus

You gonna lay some old sea mud down under the akadama? I think that's important when using akadama

I have a set up with akadama as well but I did not use any supplements under the substrate. Tank is set up and going for a few days now -- should I be adding anything if I just use regular tap water? This whole akadama thing is new to me.