Re: pH hell

[Frauley/Elson <fraulels@minet.ca>]

Hi
Water isn't my forte, but I can see both sides of this pH hellishness. I
like to use tap, but I have good tapwater for general maintenance. Not
everyone does. Maintaining and breeding are different, so here's how I
fool with water. I use urban rain (neutral, zero ppm) and water left to
stand over peat (6.2 to 6.4, 70ppm) mixed, along with tapwater, to get
what I want. It's low-tech, but more than that, it's predictable and can
be kept stable. G. Kadar wrote:
> 
> Right now, after titrating non-phosphate buffered acid into the tank, the pH
> has stabilized at 6.6.  The problem will again arise when I do another water
> change.

That's where it can go wrong, big-time, and that's why I only use acids
to trigger spawning, not for general keeping. my D maculatum have tubes
down, so it works. Once I get fry (if) the water will slowly revert to
tap. My only extracts are from real garden peat. Plants grow, fish grow,
and I get the colours described in the post I'm responding to. If you
have to get into adding lots of products, you're setting up disasters. 
You'll note the lack of chemical analysis here - I feel I've found the
bare minimum I have to do to keep and breed dwarfs, tetras and killies.
Chemicals can become a spiral, this counters that which counters this
and so on. A little peat, some treated or pure water and attention and
the fish will continue to live long long and prosper (and reproduce).
Too many additives and both you and your fish will be stressed. In the
long term, I vote for the bare minimum.
-Gary
In the short term, take it easy and learn to admire the resourcefulness
algae until you stabilize your water :-)


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