Wild-type guppy tub update: did a 50% change with RO mix, any tips on keeping pH steady?
Switched my outdoor guppy tubs to a half RO half tap mix after the phosphate talk here. Fish look the same but I'm a bit nervous about pH swings with the lower buffering. Anyone running mixed water on livebearers and just adding a pinch of gh/kh booster? Pic below of the tub setup.
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I mix about the same for my stem tanks and add a bit of baking soda to the RO portion for kh. Test the mixed water in a bucket before it goes in the tub.
good call testing in a bucket first. how much baking soda per 20 liters roughly?
Go small, about a quarter teaspoon per 20 L raises kh a few degrees. Livebearers like some hardness so I'd also keep a little gh in there, and always mix a day ahead so it settles.
i keep my livebearer tubs on a similar mix and the mix-a-day-ahead part is what saved me from the swings. also a handful of crushed coral in a mesh bag does a lot for steadying ph.
crushed coral in a bag is a nice idea, I've got a bag of it somewhere. does it keep the ph steady in an outdoor tub with rain getting in?
it helps a lot with the slow drift but rain will still dilute it. i'd test the tub after a heavy rain and top up the mix, the coral just keeps the floor from dropping too far.
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