Re: pH hell

[Paul Evans <pm_evans@yahoo.com>]

---ALEX PASTOR <alexp@idirect.com> wrote:
>
> Re: the deionizer.  Once the water goes through this the GH =0 and
KH = 0.
> (tested by me) I add Seachem acid buffer and Seachem alkaline
buffer, Kent

When I first started reading this thread I wondered
if you where using Seachem's acid/alkaline buffer.  
Several weeks ago I started a thread titled 'ph problems'.  In a
nutshell I started out with stable
water ph = 7.2, GH=4dH, KH=2dH.  One hour after 
adding the proper mixture of Seachem acid/alkaline
buffer to acheive ph of 6.5 the ph was 6.5.  24 hours
later the ph was 7.2.  72 hours later the ph was 7.6.
I tried it again with the same results.

Based on the advice of the people on this list I have
started using peat.  I have not yet acheived the 
results I want.  So far (about 10 days) my ph is
only 7.0 (down from 7.6) but I feel I am on the 
right track.  Instead of dying, my fish are showing
vivid colors although I cannot see them very well
because something is clouding my water (in addition
to the nice brown tinge from the peat).  

I am convinced that the Seachem acid/alkaline buffer
does not work well in tanks.  In my tests, it works
great when mixed with RO, but anything more 
chemically complex than that causes dramatic ph
swings.

Paul Evans
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