I am very happy to report that a month after setting up my 75 gallon tank I now have GOOD WATER! Tests just 2 weeks ago were dismal and unfortunately I had fish living in it. High level pH, high amonia, levels of nitrites and nitrates not good - now ALL is well. Well almost. pH is still just a little high (7.6) but I'm going to add some more lace rock and hopefully that will help bring that down. What else does anyone recommend for high pH? They didn't have API pH down at the local pet store.

But amonia is rock bottom and all other levels are well within normal limits.

Happy dance! And off to get some neon tetras for the tank! I'll post pictures later.

Dulcie

Your pH is fine. As long as its stable and not changing all the time its ok. Most fish will adapt to it no problem. If you start screwing with it, you asking for trouble in my opnion Just my 2 cents.

+1 especially on the "high" pH.


High pH is caused by low carbon dioxide. Which can hardly be harmful to fish.

On my planted non circulated tanks I routinely have pH of 8.4-8.8 (api high range kit) yet tetras and hatchetfish thrive and live for years.

my .02

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

how to get rid of snails

do nothing.

I have always had a snail bloom initially in my planted tanks. the a year later only a few are left.

So like I said-----do nothing.


my .02

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

Why is this posted in site news? lol

Sorry - My original post was about my good water test results - that was good news to me.

Lol

I use API pH down because my fish would not tolerate a high pH.

Bull

I have neon tetras and silver hacterfish that lived for years and years in a tank where the pH was 8.4-8.8 (api high range test kit purple).

IMHO it's not the pH but why the pH is high.

In my case the uncirculated, no mechnical filters and no water change tanks have a high pH because the plants suck out the carbon dioxide and return oxygen. And as a result the fish thrive, are healthy, active, and live for years.

still just my .02

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

Well you are lucky! My fish repeatedly died due to high pH.

IMHO your fish died because of what was causing the high pH not the high pH itself. To me you best course of action is to change that underlying cause not add chemicals.


But that's just me and my .02

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

Lace rock won't bring your ph down it will raise it. and in time to 8.0+

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SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

figure out why, then correct, chemicals are worst on the fish than the high PH, IMO

Nicklo, please stay on topic. This statement makes no sense.

__________________
SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

I'm sorry if it makes you sad, but I have had complaints on this type of posts that don't pertain to topic.

And I go to bed when I am ready! Respect your elders.

__________________
SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

You may consider weather the tank ecological adjustment system is stable or not,try to adding some Nitricfy bacteria like Biozym or other PH adjustment medicine.

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Guangzhou Prov. China
Gigi Chen
Email:dayugigi@hotmail.com

Like making firends ,send me a message!

It has been my experience that thriving fast growing plants provide the best and most stable system in tanks.

Plus my pH values are always high because the plants are sucking out the carbon dioxide. Yet fish reported as "needing" low ph like tetras, hatchet fish and so on thrive and live for years and years.

Therefore I do not recommend and advise against using any added bacteria or pH adjustment chemicals.

Still just my .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

Plants suck out CO2 in everyone's tank, not just beaslbob's^. Plants do not cause a high ph, as implied. At the end of a lighting period in a planted tank, your ph will have gone up slightly due to the usage of the available CO2 in the water, but will go back to where it started from before your lighting period began by time the lights come on again.

I test the water for both KH and GH because the play a role in buffering the conditions that effect pH. For instance I live in an area with a lot of lava rock. The tap water is very low in calcium. Calcium buffers the pH of the water. I add baking soda to my water changes to increase the calcium level. To soften the water and boost the magnesium level I also add some Epsom salt. I understand there are many other tests available as well for other specific nutrients. I hope that helps, I apologize if I confused you.