Q's about hypo and pH

[guitarfish]

1) The biggest problem I have doing hypo is the process of getting down to 1.009 seems to take FOREVER. I usually remove 30-35% of the tank water. Can't take out much more because the HOB filters stop working. I gradually addd fresh, and when the tank is full I usually need to do it all over again. If there's an easier way, please enlighten me.
2) The pH of fresh water is lower than the tank water, so I need to equalize it. I usually use washing soda right into the freshwater to raise it. Is this what others do? Is there a formula, e.g x teaspoons of washing soda per 5g?
3) QT'g fish is a given. But since snails crabs & other inverts are packed in water, as are corals, doesn't it stand that these need to be QT'd too? Because even though ich doesn't attach to them, it can live in the water for a time, right? What do others do. One prob. is my snails/crabs would starve in the QT tank. Also, my QT doesn't have lights good enough for coral.
Just trying ti understand it all !

 

[beth]

Originally posted by guitarfish
1) The biggest problem I have doing hypo is the process of getting down to 1.009 seems to take FOREVER. I usually remove 30-35% of the tank water. Can't take out much more because the HOB filters stop working. I gradually addd fresh, and when the tank is full I usually need to do it all over again. If there's an easier way, please enlighten me.
Yep, it does take a long time. I don't know of any short cuts.
2) The pH of fresh water is lower than the tank water, so I need to equalize it. I usually use washing soda right into the freshwater to raise it. Is this what others do? Is there a formula, e.g x teaspoons of washing soda per 5g?
What is washing soda? Baking soda? If so, that is fine. It is best to buffer the water BEFORE it goes into the QT.
3) QT'g fish is a given. But since snails crabs & other inverts are packed in water, as are corals, doesn't it stand that these need to be QT'd too? Because even though ich doesn't attach to them, it can live in the water for a time, right? What do others do. One prob. is my snails/crabs would starve in the QT tank. Also, my QT doesn't have lights good enough for coral.
Don't bother with QTing inverts. More likely the ich will come in on sand or LR. The key here is to find out if your source for your LR or sand is sharing water/filters with tanks that have fish.....if not, then not to worry.
Just trying ti understand it all !
Understanding it all will take a lifetime, if even then.....

 

[guitarfish]

Thank you Beth!
What about QT'ing corals? I assume swf.com doesn't keep fish in their coral tanks. Yea or nay?
BTW - washing soda is different from baking soda. You can "bake" baking soda at 350 for 20min on some alum foil and it becomes washing soda. I don't fully understand the chemical differences, but washing soda raises the pH a heck of a lot quicker.
How much baking soda do you use per 5g?

 

[beth]

I use hobby buffers.
Ich coming in on anything other than water or fish is highly unlikely.

 

[guitarfish]

Beth, I think ths is my last question. How critical is 1.009 to the hypo process? If it went up to 1.010, is the process derailed? Just trying to make sure I don't mess this up.
-Dave