20 gallon Dp

[Sun_Queen]

Hey, I bet you guys remember me posting a bunch of newbie questions about a week ago, so I decided to start a build thread!
So far I have filled the tank and have some plants in there!
I set up an album I'm going to keep the pictures in just for you guys!

http://s1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh552/sun_queen1/
The password is: pufferforum

Any suggestions? I know the line of sight needs to be broken up I just hope that they will be okay until things start growing in, right now the plants are a tad short...

On the bright side the LFS if getting the DPs in a week so when my tank is ready they'll be there!

just wanted to ask what would be an ideal ph for them? mine is between 7.2 and 7.6...

[Nuclear_Glitter]

The exact pH isn't near as important as a steady pH.

The pufferpedia says they can have a pH of: pH: 6.5 - 7.2

However, quite a few people have water with a higher pH and it doesn't seem to affect them. Either way, the last thing you want to do is a chemical buffer to adjust the pH.

You could add a few tall plastic plants to break up the lines of site until yours grow bigger.

[Sun_Queen]

oh, okay, good to know! the other readings are good so it should be ready soon, nitrates are somewhere between 0-5 ppm probably 3 or something like that...
I have some tall plastic plants... I just hate them sooo much so I'd hate to use them... but it might be my only option... (was sorta hoping them being young would keep down aggression until plants got bigger )

[Nuclear_Glitter]

Well, they may not be that aggressive, because of their age, as you said. You could always just leave the plastic plants out, and see how it goes. If you see any signs of aggression, then you could add them. Good luck! Glad your readings are starting to look good.

[Sun_Queen]

That was sorta my plan, I will add them If I have to, I'd rather put up with ugly plants than angry puffers :O

Yeah, the plants were added when I started cycling and I haven't had any huge jumps in ammonia or nitrites... but I'm going to monitor for a while longer (testing everyday right now) before I add anything - other than the few ghost shrimp I stuck in there lol...

[knoids]

@ Sun-Queen: It sounds like you have a good tank! How many Dwarf Puffers are you planning on getting?

[Sun_Queen]

I was planning on getting three

Edit: I'm actually very worried about ph now it's rising to crazy levels... i tested with a high range ph test and it's reading well over 8.0!!! I'm going to test my tap water to see if that could be why it's so high... luckily I don't have fish yet...
Edit 2: I tested my tap water and it's ph is normal... I'd rather not add chemicals to the tank would there be another way to lower the ph? all the plants and ghost shrimp seem healthy for now...

[J-P]

The exact pH isn't near as important as a steady pH.

Sorry NG. I don't mean to pick on you. Honestly. And RTR may pounce on me for this. Just my 2 cents:

A steady pH = a dead tank.
The pH will rise and fall throughout the day. It will rise and fall with tank temperatures. It will rise and fall depending on how much food you put in. The question is adequate range. Some fish are more sensitive to pH flux than others. For a Dwarf Puffer... Mine can go a full point or more in 24 hours and be fine. Others may vary.

If your pH is stable at 7.5 constantly. There is something wrong in the tank. The tank breathes, and as it inhales and exhales (maybe a poor example), the chemistry changes. This creates a pH flux. Up and down within a certain range is fine and normal. Exceeding those ranges is dangerous.

[Nuclear_Glitter]

The exact pH isn't near as important as a steady pH.

Sorry NG. I don't mean to pick on you. Honestly. And RTR may pounce on me for this. Just my 2 cents:

A steady pH = a dead tank.
The pH will rise and fall throughout the day. It will rise and fall with tank temperatures. It will rise and fall depending on how much food you put in. The question is adequate range. Some fish are more sensitive to pH flux than others. For a Dwarf Puffer... Mine can go a full point or more in 24 hours and be fine. Others may vary.

If your pH is stable at 7.5 constantly. There is something wrong in the tank. The tank breathes, and as it inhales and exhales (maybe a poor example), the chemistry changes. This creates a pH flux. Up and down within a certain range is fine and normal. Exceeding those ranges is dangerous.

No, don't be sorry. I really do appreciate the clarification. What I was trying to say is it's better to add the same water source when doing changes and such because the pH from your source is generally steady/the same. I know that the pH within the tank changes from different stuff. I also was trying to say it's better to not add chemical buffers for your pH cause that can cause problems too.

Sun_Queen, do you have a kH and GH test? Those help more than a pH number.

[Sun_Queen]

Okay...
No I don't have those tests, but I can get them before I get the fish for sure!

[Nuclear_Glitter]

Okay...
No I don't have those tests, but I can get them before I get the fish for sure!

Okay, awesome. They're pretty cheap and they will help you.

[Sun_Queen]

yeah, I'm not home now but I'm hoping readings are better when I get home

[Sun_Queen]

Well, I know what caused the problem... it IS my tap water it has a high PH...

so I'm going to go buy some good water and do a large water change and then try and get my hands on an RO/DI unit

[Pufftastic]

Well, I know what caused the problem... it IS my tap water it has a high PH...

so I'm going to go buy some good water and do a large water change and then try and get my hands on an RO/DI unit

A high pH, as long as it's relatively consistent (with normal fluctuation, as J-P pointed out) isn't necessarily a bad thing. I have a pH from the tap that's consistently in the 8.2-8.5 range and have happily kept fish for many years.

[bertie 83]

What is the ph of your tap water? It may not be a massive issue.