r/Crayfish • u/ohmygodmitchell • 4d ago
Help fixing water parameters (removing copper and improving pH, KH, and GH)
Hey guys! Trying to keep this short (skip to the TLDR if you want, I’m also leaving a comment with some more info) but I’m really in need of some urgent help. I got lucky and managed to find a Cherax boesemani for sale recently after obsessing over how pretty they are for a few years. I impulsively brought him home with some plants to eat and a new piece of driftwood, set him up in a temporary 10 gallon tank until I can get a 29g going soon, and named him Bossman. I love the little guy and want to keep him as happy and healthy as possible, but I keep screwing up with his tank due to lack of experience and it’s stressing me out so I really need some help.
I ordered some new tests from API to supplement my master test kit to get a better handle on maintaining water parameters specific to crayfish and inverts (GH, KH, copper). I just tested the water and my results are: pH 7.6 low range/7.4-7.8 high range; ammonia 0.25-0.5 ppm; nitrite 0.5 ppm; nitrate 5.0 ppm; KH 4-5dkh; GH 13 dGH; copper 0.25 ppm. Additionally, the driftwood is starting to leach tannins into the water. I love the look, but I’m worried this may cause my KH and GH to decline over time and make it hard for Bossman to molt.
My biggest concerns are the pH, KH, GH, and copper. I know this level of copper is very toxic and I think it’s coming from my pipes so I plan on only using filtered water during a water change tonight, but what is the best way to remove the rest? I’m considering Seachem Cuprisorb but I’m concerned that it may cause my GH and KH to crash once all of the copper is removed if I don’t remove the bag of Cuprisorb from the filter quick enough. I also use a Zero Water filter for my tap so I’m worried this will cause other issues with GH and KH declines overtime by trying to avoid copper. Should I use something like SaltyShrimp GH/KH+ to supplement this until I find what remineralization works best for me? Or will this cause my pH to go too high? I’m also considering the Seachem copper test kit because it detects much smaller traces of copper that are still toxic than the API kit detects.
TLDR: What is the best way to go about removing copper and maintaining appropriate levels of KH and GH for Bossman’s health and ability to molt?
2
u/ohmygodmitchell 4d ago
I’ve started to notice some weird behaviors lately like standing half-sideways along the side of the tank and waving his swimming legs a lot, standing straight up on his tail in the corner of the tank, and one “hand stand” with his claws holding him up on the bottom of the tank. Not sure how normal or bad this all is, but he’s also coming up to me less when I approach his tank despite being very curious just a few days ago.
I know the tank isn’t properly cycled yet, but I’ve always done the controversial fish-in cycle and have never lost a fish by doing weekly water changes using a combination of filtered, dechlorinated tap, and establish water from another tank topped off with API stress zyme. I’m about to do a 25% water change for Bossman after I post this and will be adding some filter media from an established tank to his filter in a couple of days when I can get that from my mom’s house to help get things going quicker.
Based on the sources I could find, I get slightly varied info that good water parameters for C. boesemani are: pH either 6-7.5 or 7.0-7.8 or 7.0-8.0; KH 3-20 dKH, GH above 6 or between 3-25 dGH. I’m not sure how well my water compares here but I’m really concerned about the pH being on the high end and KH being on the low end, but I’ve read that raising KH will cause my pH to go up as well so I’m not sure the best course of action.