I checked my chemicals in the water and I ran across a problem and need some explanation. I dont remember the exactly but i can guess close. Here are my aquarium info.

Ive been having the tank for about 2-3 months. but i just now started using the test strip just to see if i had any problems. I have never had any fish die on me. But the ph and the alkalinity are both high.

10g Tank
Penguin bio-wheel 150
Marineland water heater
4 Platy's and 3 neon fish
gravel
many many live plants. (java ferns, anubias nanas, lots of water sprite)

Nitrate - 0.5
Nitrite - 0
Hardness - 50 ppm
Alkaline - HIGH i dont know the value but i just know the yellow test strip turned blue.
pH - also high i think 8.5

ANY SUGGESTIONS?

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20 Gallon Planted Tank
3.45wpg, Eco-Complete substrate, 6500k CFL, Pressurized CO2, Flourish Excel, Flourish Trace, and Flourish
Platys, Oto Cats, Bumble Bee Shrimp, Crystal Red Shrimp and Red Cherry Shrimp
Limnophila Aromatica
Stargrass
Red Wendtii Cryptocoryne
Dwarf Hair Grass
Baby Tears (HM)
Dwarf Baby Tears (HC)
Red Lotus Tiger Lily
Red Lotus Dwarf Lily
Java Moss
Christmas Moss

strips can be inaccurate-try buying an API master freshwater liquid test kit. if the pH and alkalinity are high, the platy's should do ok, but the neon fish are questionable-do u mean neon tetras or neon rainbowfish? neon rainbowfish actually prefer hard, alkaline water but neon tetras need soft, acidic water.

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Nobody beats...
THE AVALANCHE!!!!!!!!!!

they are actually neon tetras :(. Yea i saw the master FW kit test and it was 30 bucks and wasnt sure if it was worth it.

Is the alkalinity from the tap water? Im not sure how to lower the ph and the only thing that comes across my mind is dumping lemon juice in there :'(

Even if the platies and IF the neon fish can handle the water. i still want to be able to learn how to keep everything at a perfect balance in case i get a different species of fish.

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20 Gallon Planted Tank
3.45wpg, Eco-Complete substrate, 6500k CFL, Pressurized CO2, Flourish Excel, Flourish Trace, and Flourish
Platys, Oto Cats, Bumble Bee Shrimp, Crystal Red Shrimp and Red Cherry Shrimp
Limnophila Aromatica
Stargrass
Red Wendtii Cryptocoryne
Dwarf Hair Grass
Baby Tears (HM)
Dwarf Baby Tears (HC)
Red Lotus Tiger Lily
Red Lotus Dwarf Lily
Java Moss
Christmas Moss

well u won't be able to moderate your chemicals properly without the API tests. it is worth the 30bucks. if u want to lower the ph and alkalinity, try using peat moss. u can find some made for canister fillters and put it into a nylon sock and have the sock hiden in the corner of the tank or inside the filter. u could also use natural driftwood to give the tank a more natural look while keeping the chemicals right at the same time.

__________________
Nobody beats...
THE AVALANCHE!!!!!!!!!!

peat moss is a good idea and i used to use them for carnivorous plants because if its acidicity. But peat moss will stain my water yellow/brown because of the tannins that it gives off. if i remember right i saw "pH decrease" chemicals at petsmart. are those any good?

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20 Gallon Planted Tank
3.45wpg, Eco-Complete substrate, 6500k CFL, Pressurized CO2, Flourish Excel, Flourish Trace, and Flourish
Platys, Oto Cats, Bumble Bee Shrimp, Crystal Red Shrimp and Red Cherry Shrimp
Limnophila Aromatica
Stargrass
Red Wendtii Cryptocoryne
Dwarf Hair Grass
Baby Tears (HM)
Dwarf Baby Tears (HC)
Red Lotus Tiger Lily
Red Lotus Dwarf Lily
Java Moss
Christmas Moss

if u have any carbon filtration, the odors and tannins will be filtered out. i wouldn't trust petsmart items if they are from the topfin brand

__________________
Nobody beats...
THE AVALANCHE!!!!!!!!!!

OH ok. yes i have carbon filter installed. never knew the carbon filtered out color. as you can see im quite new at this. Alright thank you, i should be all set then. thanks for all the help. greatly appreciated.

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20 Gallon Planted Tank
3.45wpg, Eco-Complete substrate, 6500k CFL, Pressurized CO2, Flourish Excel, Flourish Trace, and Flourish
Platys, Oto Cats, Bumble Bee Shrimp, Crystal Red Shrimp and Red Cherry Shrimp
Limnophila Aromatica
Stargrass
Red Wendtii Cryptocoryne
Dwarf Hair Grass
Baby Tears (HM)
Dwarf Baby Tears (HC)
Red Lotus Tiger Lily
Red Lotus Dwarf Lily
Java Moss
Christmas Moss

You need sodium biphosphate to bring your PH/alkalinity down. Your LFS should have it.

However, you need to figure out why you're getting high readings - first get the API liquid test kit & make sure you have the correct numbers. Also test the tap water to see what you're starting with.

If you don't want to use chemicals & your tap water is lower you can bring it down with daily water changes.

sodium biphosphate isn't necessary. peat moss, driftwood, and java moss are all more natural ways to keep the pH low. unless u mean sodium biphosphate is found inside these things, and thats why they make the pH low.

__________________
Nobody beats...
THE AVALANCHE!!!!!!!!!!

I meant that when I had a PH problem I got it from my LFS with the instructions to use 1TSP per 10 gallons (dissolved in a cup before adding). It was a quick fix at the time (I only needed it once when the tank was new a couple of years ago).

Don't know your kh and gh values but the other values including the pH are about what I have in my planted tanks even with peat moss.

pH rises as carbon dioxide is removed by the plants.


my .02

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g since 2002. 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.

Current tanks 10g FW leiden since 2002, 55g mixed reef since 2002, 20g FW leiden since 2007, 10 g fw leiden since 12/2008, 29g mixed reef since 2007

My experience has been that if you start using chemicals to try to alter and maintain PH you are asking for problems. Most (not all) fish can live in a wide range of PH if they are acclimated correctly. It is easier for the fish to adjust to a high PH then it is to use chemicals and keep a PH constant. You will end up having PH swings with the chemicals that can cause more harm to the fish then what the original high PH would have caused.

thank you for all the replies. they all helped. my Water Sprite aquatic plant is rapidly growing and i have put peat moss into the filter. I also tested about 3 gallons of rainwater and it was perfect so i replaced some of that into my fish tank. The ph and the alkalinity and all the other chemical readings are all now normal. lets just hope it stays that way =D

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20 Gallon Planted Tank
3.45wpg, Eco-Complete substrate, 6500k CFL, Pressurized CO2, Flourish Excel, Flourish Trace, and Flourish
Platys, Oto Cats, Bumble Bee Shrimp, Crystal Red Shrimp and Red Cherry Shrimp
Limnophila Aromatica
Stargrass
Red Wendtii Cryptocoryne
Dwarf Hair Grass
Baby Tears (HM)
Dwarf Baby Tears (HC)
Red Lotus Tiger Lily
Red Lotus Dwarf Lily
Java Moss
Christmas Moss