CRS Benibachi set up disaster.

[Aquadream]

Hi to all experts.

Two months ago I have started a brand new Denerle 60L nano cube for a CRS tank.
I used only new products in there.
The substrate was new Shirakura, with Benibachi Bee max and Benibachi Mineral powder.
The substrate system was set up according to Benibachi recommendations.

Additional products that I have used were;
Benibachi Black Control, Benibachi Nitrate Remover, Benibachi Amonia Remover all used only with the recommended amounts or a bit less than that. I never over dosed any of them.

I used also a small amount of filter bacteria from Easy Life to speed up the cycling time.

The water was only RO with Mosura GH booster.

Water parameters were;

GH – 5
KH – 0
Cond. – up to 200 uS
TDS – up to 150 ppm

This tank went anaerobic in just two months and the substrate smelled like shit hole.

Can anyone suggest what could possibly have gone wrong in there?

[Biollante]

Hi,

Obviously, I am not an expert, so my apologies for answering...

I have not used Mosura GH booster, but I was under the impression it was supposed to add some alkalinity.

Also I have never used and I am not at all familiar with Shirakura, with Benibachi Bee max and Benibachi Mineral powder. If you could scan labels or point me to a website, I will probably figure out the rest tomorrow, well, later today.

For now I will assume the 0-dKH is correct.

Alkalinity… I know “they” do not like such talk around here, but alkalinity under 15-ppm or so is asking for trouble.

The more general answer is a failure to reconstitute the water properly.

My general advice is KH over 70-ppm (4-dKH) especially when starting out. There are a few plants and a few critters that need low KH, still under 1-dKH is hazardous.

Life is much simpler if you maintain 4-9-dKH and 5-9-dGH, higher than “9-d” is preferable to less than “4-d” in either.

I know many folks that study biological filtration tend to say 100-ppm (~5.6-dKH) alkalinity is optimum.

I am actually not trying to be funny, but the “outhouse” smells you describe means it is not anaerobic, which oddly enough is a good sign for your next attempt.

How are the critters? Plants?

My method to reconstitute 50-liters of RO:

• 7-grams CaCl₂•6H₂O (most common form of Calcium chloride), it also happens CaCl₂ is particularly good for helping keep ammonia in line during cycling.
• 3-grams of Epsom salt
• 5-grams baking soda
• A dash of lemon juice
• Mix well to aerate.

Biollante

[Aquadream]

Thanks for the answer.
The Benibachi products are "described" in their web site.
www.benibachi.co.uk and/or www.benibachi.com

I have two more tanks with KH- 0 also for CRS and there is not problems in them. The difference is that one of them does not use the Benibachi products in the substrate and it is also UGF combined with the external canister.

Those levels of salts that you suggest make the control of waste products difficult. As a general rule the CRS do not develop in high grade colours in high KH/GH values. I have no idea why.

The Mosura GH booster is supposed to be specially developed for CRS tanks, but even if not so I have and I have tried everything else regarding GH salt mixes. They do not seem to matter at all. Any salt mix that have Ca and Mg does the job.

I have been keeping CRS for two years by now, but I am not an expert of any kind. All of my tanks were done in simple ways, no special additives of any kind. Now I have decided to go high end and it ended up a shit end.

[Biollante]

Hi,

My humble apologies, no intention to offend, you have added information I did not have when I posted my response.

Let me also say I commiserate, having been a Dupla dupe, myself. At the same time, I have to admit that my “wrong turn” with Dupla led me to a better understanding of the hobby. Without such errors, we do not progress, may be the price for progress. I hope however, it turns out the same is true in your case.

In the event this is not just a rant for which you were looking for validation, I will continue this as though it is a serious search for answers. More information always helps.

Your links to Benibachi products provide no useful information about the products, to me the first clue they should not be used. I can guess at most and I see nothing “magical” or even complex.

Point taken, you desire low KH based on your belief the colors are enhanced. I am not disputing this, I honestly do not know. I also keep fish that like very low KH, so I am sympathetic.

Technically the level of salts I recommend would make waste control far easier.

If as you assert the CRS will not shine, as brightly that is another issue, one I would be interested in exploring, osmotic pressure, perhaps. I see many products that promise more color that is vibrant.

Again, I am sorry to disagree but there is demonstrably a difference in the effectiveness of the Calcium compounds used, and some may think the addition of sulfates may be less desirable than chloride, for instance.

Correlation is not causation, I think it is hard to make a case with so many variables in one try out of three, only the US Navy would (and has) excepted such weak statistical basis for decision making and the results were disastrous. Don’t be the US Navy…

Anyway, you may have simply learned what the kind people of Dupla taught me.

• The simple way is usually best.
• We are largely in control of what is in our tanks.
  
  • Make sure you know what is in the products you are adding.

Anyway if you are interested in further thought say so, either way have a long and happy life.

Biollante