low alkalinity

[Snaz]

Originally Posted by makana

Well the tank is clear today and the smell is gone. Amonia and nitrite are going down fast. PH still hasn't changed its 7.9.

How long should I run the carbon? Should I continue to run without the lid? With the lid I didn't need to top off the water because any evaporation pretty much collected on the lid and fell back in. I checked salinity daily and never had it change. Now it has changed half a point since yesterday. I don't mind daily top offs but I'm wondering how you keep fish in and cats out without a top. I also would prefer the lid to minimize evaporation if I go away for a weekend in the summer.

I'm sorry if I came off as strong in my previous post. I apologise.

Run the carbon until your confident all is well, some folk always run carbon of some kind. Chemipure, which has been rumoured to solve world hunger, contains a very active carbon component and lasts a long time. I have a small bag of Chemipure in my system all the time.

As far as your lid goes, describe it. Is it a piece of glass that seals the top? If yes then you might want to consider keeping a portion open for gas exchange. If it is a hood then you can keep it closed but make sure you have some surface agitation either from a power head or return jet or even a bubble wand. Something to break the surface.

Does the water surface have a "skin" to it? A skin is water tension, a seal that will prevent proper gas exchange, it looks sorta dusty that gets broken when you put your hand in. If yes then you need to adjust your overflows so the water draws off the surface properly and not just under the surface.
Keith