Djoko Sauza
Member
Fragile in-vitro and generally vulnerable plants are prone to melting at startup due to the excessive levels of ammonia released from the substrate when using new aquasoil. Dark Start is a way to start up your aquarium with a more balanced and mature ecosystem, thus preventing plant melt and algae growth.
There are enough threads explaining the process but it's basically leaving the tank to its own devices for the first weeks with nothing but substrate, harscape and a running filter. The aquarium should also be blacked out and water changes are optional.
Now to the point. If all the usual startup problems are caused by excess amonia, would lowering the water pH, turning ammonia into ammonium, solve the issue?
Or are plants as sensitive to ammonium as they are to ammonia?
Which pH would be low enough in order to have a negligible amount of ammonia present?
Thanks
There are enough threads explaining the process but it's basically leaving the tank to its own devices for the first weeks with nothing but substrate, harscape and a running filter. The aquarium should also be blacked out and water changes are optional.
Now to the point. If all the usual startup problems are caused by excess amonia, would lowering the water pH, turning ammonia into ammonium, solve the issue?
Or are plants as sensitive to ammonium as they are to ammonia?
Which pH would be low enough in order to have a negligible amount of ammonia present?
Thanks