The Puffer Forum

Hi all,
Trying to set up a tank for a F8 but having no luck with our local water supply. Our tap water is extremely soft and acidic. I put down aragonite as a substrate under the assumption it would raise pH and alkalinity but after 3 days the water is still at 6.4 and very soft. I've added Coralife salt to raise the salinity to the proper level and I've got the lfs holding a fish for me for the last few days thinking I'd get my water straighted out sooner than this but I'm getting pretty frustrated. Any suggestions? If I add some crushed coral, how long should it take to raise the pH and how much should I use and will it raise the pH to a certain point or will it continue to rise?

Aragonite will buffer more than crushed coral. What kind of filter are you running? I've had luck filling a filter media bag (or old hose tied up) with aragonite and putting it in my AC's filter area - the water running over may be just thing for you.

Eric

Jayhawk wrote:Aragonite will buffer more than crushed coral. What kind of filter are you running? I've had luck filling a filter media bag (or old hose tied up) with aragonite and putting it in my AC's filter area - the water running over may be just thing for you.

Eric

Right now I'm just running a bare filter for circulation, I have a cycled filter ready to go on the tank once I have the fish. My problem isn't so much the buffering (yet) but the fact my pH is really low. I was under the impression that aragonite would raise the pH of the water but as of yet it hasn't raised it at all.

Aragonite should raise your pH - maybe it'll take more time. However, if Corallife salt is marine saltwater mix - it should have buffered your water and increased the pH, too.

How old is your test kit? Just wondering if maybe it's too old and not working right.

Eric

I had a problem with a bad batch (or just bad salt) of Red Sea Salt that only gave me a pH of ~7.5. I swiched to IO then, and I havn't had a problem since.

Have you compared the KH of the source water, the reconstituted mix without the aragonite, and the tank? it is a chore in high KH water, but it might still tell you something.

Low density BW is not very high KH, so it is not as bad as working with high BW or SW. It is also the range where KH issues are the most common and troublesome.

I do use aragonite and it is faster for me than crushed coral, but it is not fast. i also use the aragonite over OE-RFUG, ao it gets more flow and can respond a bit faster.

Turns out my pH test solution was bad! Took some water to the lfs and had them test it, came out at 7.2. So, I bought a new test kit and brought home E-7, my new F8. Drip acclimated him for almost 3 hours and put him (her, it) into the 20L. Started hunting for food from the word go, so I waited about 2 hours, crushed a snail and dropped it in. Chow time! Nice little round bellied puffer. Pics to follow in the not too distant future.

Congratulations!

Nice to hear you got it straigtened out and got the puff home! Hope to see pics!

Woohoo!!
20L meaning long, or litre?

lisalisa wrote:Woohoo!!
20L meaning long, or litre?

20 long (30"x12"x whatever the heck the height is), couple of fake plants and lava rock. Still a little hazy, I'll post some pics when it clears.

Congratulations on your new puffer! I have my figure 8 in a 20 long - I think it's just about the ideal size for a singleton.

BTW - I'm glad it was a bad test kit...I think many of us have had that happen.

Eric