20 gallon Dp
20 gallon Dp
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...
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...
-
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 971
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 1:03 am
- Gender: Female
- Location (country): North Carolina, USA
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Re: 20 gallon Dp
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.
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.
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -- Henry Ford
Re: 20 gallon Dp
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 )
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 )
-
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 971
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 1:03 am
- Gender: Female
- Location (country): North Carolina, USA
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Re: 20 gallon Dp
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.
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -- Henry Ford
Re: 20 gallon Dp
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...
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...
-
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 1:27 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): U.S.A
- Location: Kent, WA (USA)
Re: 20 gallon Dp
@ Sun-Queen: It sounds like you have a good tank! How many Dwarf Puffers are you planning on getting?
Re: 20 gallon Dp
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...
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
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 5626
- Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:21 am
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): Japan
- Location: Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan
Re: 20 gallon Dp
Nuclear_Glitter wrote: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.
if you follow me, you avoid stepping in the crap that I just did...
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZR55G ... pqlgec1A2Q
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZR55G ... pqlgec1A2Q
-
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 971
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 1:03 am
- Gender: Female
- Location (country): North Carolina, USA
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Re: 20 gallon Dp
J-P wrote:Nuclear_Glitter wrote: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.
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -- Henry Ford
Re: 20 gallon Dp
Okay...
No I don't have those tests, but I can get them before I get the fish for sure!
No I don't have those tests, but I can get them before I get the fish for sure!
-
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 971
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 1:03 am
- Gender: Female
- Location (country): North Carolina, USA
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Re: 20 gallon Dp
Okay, awesome. They're pretty cheap and they will help you.Sun_Queen wrote:Okay...
No I don't have those tests, but I can get them before I get the fish for sure!
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -- Henry Ford
Re: 20 gallon Dp
yeah, I'm not home now but I'm hoping readings are better when I get home
Re: 20 gallon Dp
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
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
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 430
- Joined: Wed May 12, 2010 2:02 pm
- My Puffers: 1 x C travancoricus
Have also kept:
T biocellatus - Location (country): California USA
Re: 20 gallon Dp
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.Sun_Queen wrote: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
Yo ho, yo ho, a puffer's life for me.
- bertie 83
- Moderator
- Posts: 5298
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: lineatus R.I.P, South American puffer. Valentini puffer, porcupine puffer.
Non puffer
Danios, Tetras, Redtail Rasporas,
Harlequins, CAE's, Yoyo
Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
- Location: brighton , england
Re: 20 gallon Dp
What is the ph of your tap water? It may not be a massive issue.
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly