Re: pH hell

[Dave Gomberg <gomberg@wcf.com>]

Alec, you are going to have to learn to stop throwing chemicals in your
tanks.   Let's start at the beginning:

What is your tap water like?

What is in your tanks besides fish, plants and water?  What kind of
substrate?  Any shells?

What kind of fish/plants are you trying to raise?

And PLEASE don't add any more chemicals without our OK.  OK?



At 09:37 PM 2/12/99 -0800, you wrote:
>O.K. Now that we are on water quality topics, I wonder if someone can tell
>me what is really going on here.  I discovered, after having experienced a
>massive hair algae bloom, that the buffer I was adding to my water contained
>phosphate.  So, over the past two weeks I have been adding phosphate- and
>nitrate-free acid/base buffer to my de-ionized water.  (Yes, I tested it.
>This situation is creating anal retentiveness!)
>I was hoping that with 30% weekly water changes the phosphate would
>gradually decrease, and hence the algae growth, and I would be able to
>maintain the pH at the usual 6.8.  But nooooooo.
>
>I leave the change water in the tub overnight.  It keeps a stable 6.6.  Then
>I add it to the tank which is at 6.8.  I did not concern myself unduly, or
>so I believed.  Well, holy smokes the pH went up to 8.5!!!!!  Since that
>heart attack, I have been gradually adding acid buffer to bring it down and
>stabilize it.  But it has been a struggle.
>
>So, what gives?  Is the phosphate binding up the acid and permitting the
>alkaline buffer to have full reign or what?
>
>Sleepless in Toronto
>
>
>
>
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--
Dave Gomberg, San Francisco            mailto:gomberg@wcf.com
http://www.wcf.com/co2iron
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