Red devil 05/27/09
Red Devil Acting Strange After Large Water Change
My red devil has been acting strange for 3 weeks now after a 100% water change. He hides and acts scared and rarely eats. When no one is in the room he darts across the tank charging the pump knocking it loose, the thermometer, (he has broken 2) charges head on into the tank. I have treated him for every external and internal disease I thought he might have. I took a water sample to the local pet shop and the said the pH level was low. I purchased the pH up, treated the water and had it tested again.  Now its fine, but his behavior has not changed. I've only had him 10 months and he's about 6 inches long. This is the first time he has been sick
Alesia
< I don't think he is sick but I do think he is stressed from the 100% water change. There was probably a big change in water temperature and water chemistry. Try smaller but frequent water changes and try to provide some shelter for your red devil to hide until he feels comfortable to come out. Eventually he will associate you with food and stop hiding. Then you can get rid of the shelter.-Chuck>

Re: Red devil -Changing pH 05/27/09
There was also a white gelled mucus is the tank but I haven't seen any since I treated for the pH levels.
< When you play with the pH by adding chemicals you may get some minerals precipitating out of solution. Later they may get redissolved. I would recommend that you never change the pH of the water in the aquarium. Instead, us a 5 gallon bucket to change the pH and then use this water to slowly change the pH as you do your water changes. Swift water changes are no good for your fish.-Chuck>

New Gourami  05/23/09
New Gourami Adjusting To New Tank
Hi! I have read through your FAQ page and Google, and cant find the exact answer I'm looking for. Basically I just bought a new blue dwarf Gourami, and I have never had one before. I have brought the pH of tank down to 6.5 and it is set to 26 degrees Celsius. There is no nitrate, nitrite or ammonia in the tank. Basically the fish is swimming fine half the time, but then will stop and float randomly. or tilt to the side. is this normal behaviour? To me it looks strange/odd for a fish to do this if it is well...
Other fish in the tank:
2 platies, 2 guppies (its pretty quiet at the moment!)
I would really appreciate a reply, I love the look of these fish but I have only ever had livebearers and catfish previously!
Kind regards, Georgina
<The fish store probably had hard alkaline water. You Gourami probably is having some difficultly adjusting to the lowered pH. Much of the country has hard alkaline water. When you add new fish that are not adjusted to the new water then there may be problems. Try to keep the water consistent at the present levels for awhile and see if his behaviour improves.-Chuck>

Re: new Gourami -New Gourami Adjusting. pH Question  05/23/09
Thanks so much for the fast reply Chuck,  The Gourami is doing better!! no more floating anyway! I just have one more quick question - when I tried to lower the pH of the tank - it was jumping around too much for it to be healthy.... how would you suggest lowering the tank to 6.5 safely (it is currently at 7)? I have bought pH down, and also a container of proper pH 6.5. My tap water is around 7.5 so I cant really just keep it at that.
Kind regards, Georgina
< Adjusting the pH can be a very dangerous game to play. Your tap water is 7.5 and probably the tap water at the local fish store is probably 7.5 too.  If you change the pH of your aquarium then all the new fish may have
problems adjusting like your Gourami. Most fish will do OK at a pH of 7.5 once they are use to it but the soft water varieties probably won't breed.  Wild South American fish seem to have the most problems like cardinal tetras. If you do want to lower the pH there is an OK way and a very good way. The OK way is to take a 5 gallon bucket and fill it with your tap water. Add the pH down as per the directions on the package. Check it after 24 hours. Add more pH down if needed. Check every day until the pH you want is stable for 24 hours. Then use this water for water changes changing no more than 10% of the water at a time. Slowly over a few weeks the acidified water will be at the pH you desired. The best way is to take R/O water and add a buffer to set the pH where you want it. Follow the same procedure in a 5 gallon bucket. I would not recommend messing with the pH for the fish species you currently have.-Chuck>

Lowering pH for Discus  9/25/06
Hello Guys,
<Hi Eric, Pufferpunk here>
Pls ignore the earlier email, have some typos. Thank you.
<Thanks for the retype.>
Need some help here: I have a 180G tank (with sump) and my PH was rather unstable. It kept on increasing and at one point, it was as high as 7.8-7.9. My tap water is hard pH 7.5. I only have ceramic rings and bio-balls (wet dry) for biological filtration (activated carbon too) and some wool for mechanical filtration in the sump. As far as I am aware, I do not have anything else that may cause the PH to go up.
KH is 2.5
Ammonia is 0
Nitrite is < 0.3mg/l
Nitrate parameter is <50.
<Nitrites should always be 0, nitrates <20.>
Anyway, was kind of worried about the high pH, so I went out and got myself a pH controller (+CO2 tank w/ solenoid valve). With that in place, I was able to drive down the PH to about 6.6 and
maintain it at that range(+ - 0.1 PH swing). I think is rather all right for discus (correct me if I am wrong here).
<Most of the discus available in the aquarium trade are tank-bread in tap water.  It's not necessary to adjust the pH lower than neutral.>
When the pH controller activates the CO2 tank (via solenoid valve), it release the CO2 into the water and it is able to bring down PH by 0.1 to about 6.5 in 3minutes (through a DIY recirculated diffuser). It takes about 25minutes for the PH to shift back to 6.6 before the pH controller kicks in again.
My question is whether the frequent PH swing is something I need to be worried off?
<PH swing is more stressful then a higher, steady pH.  ~PP>
PH Controller kicks in @ 6.6
Drives down PH to 6.5 in 3minutes
Takes about 25 minutes for it to reach 6.6
And this cycle repeat itself again.
<Seems unnecessary to me.  More large, frequent water changes with tap water (I do 80% weekly) should keep it steady.  ~PP>
Thank you.
Regards, Eric

Freshwater high pH    02/17/07
To The WWM:
My tapwater has a pH of 9.1
Should I add some chloridic acid in order to achieve a better value for angel fish (freshwater) or could you suggest another method?
<Another method... starting with "cleaner" water through RO, other filtration, using other products/acids, peat et al. filtration...>
When adding top off water is necessary to adjust previously the pH using acid?
<Best to adjust in some way ahead of time, yes>
Could you suggest also the acid dose per litre?
<...>
The RO/DI water can do something about it? Or it just influence the water hardness?
Thank you very much for your help
Flávio
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwph,alk.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

High pH
We have a 38-gal. freshwater tank that has been set up for a month. We cycled with 5 zebra Danios (that seems like a lot now but it was in keeping with the first material I read) and just recently added 2 Corydoras catfish. In my preoccupation with ammonia and nitrites, which are both at zero now, I completely overlooked the pH, which is 8.8.
<Yikes>
At first I thought it was something in the tank or that it was because it hadn’t finished cycling, but we tested the water from the tap and found it also is that high. It’s well water, going through a softener...
<Really? I wonder what sort of softener, what is elevating the pH like this?>
...with Kordon Novaqua Plus conditioner...
<A good product>
...added as recommended by my LFS. I found your website a couple of days ago, and have learned a lot. Thank you for making this information available! I would appreciate your advice about this situation. Based on what I’ve read, I need to change the pH (although the current occupants seem active and happy for the moment).
<You are fortunate in your choices... some groups of aquatic life would take exception here>
Before I commit to adding anything to the tank or buying water, I want to make sure it’s the right decision. The LFS has suggested that I buy RO water from our local grocery store and start phasing it in with each water change.
<One solution, yes>
If I do that, how quickly should I change it, and what do I need to do with the water before adding it to the tank? 
<Gradually... like ten percent of the total volume every water change... weekly or so>
I’ve seen a lot of discussion of purchasing RO units, but I’m a bit confused. Would that lower the pH sufficiently?
<Yes>
Would you recommend something else entirely? Thank you for your help.
Julie
<A few things to consider... One, maybe going with aquatic life that tolerates or enjoys high pH... Using biological mediation to lower it (live plants, time...), using inorganic acids (phosphorics mainly... commercially produced).... But if it were me, my home, water, I would look into reverse osmosis... for myself (drinking and cooking) as well as the aquarium/s.... Water of this high mineral content is actually not good for you... I would have it checked (if you haven't recently) through a water quality lab... We use RO for these purposes (though the African Cichlids get straight tap) and our pH is a paltry 8.2... Bob Fenner> 

High Ph in soft water!?
Hello,
<Hi there>
Almost everything I have read concerning Ph and KH associate a high Ph with a corresponding high KH and visa-versa.
<Yes, usually these two are linked as you state... but not always>
  However I have a high Ph and a low KH.  Readings are vague because the test kits are so hard to read,
<Mmmm, there are better kits, methods>
(different shades of color that change depending on how you hold it, light it, etc) but safe to say that the Ph is between 7.2 and 7.8 and the KH is between 3 and 4 dKH.  My general hardness is the hardest to test since the color change between red and green is hardly noticeable, but I think it is between 0 and 2 dGH.  The same results are obtained in both the tank and the tap with only a very small difference.
I have been trying to prepare my tank for Discus and Severum and want to lower the ph to 7.  Peat is out of the question since I don't want tea colored water, so I have been using a Jungle brand product called Correct Ph 7.0.  My reason for choosing this stuff is because it claims to not only bring the Ph to 7.0, but it also holds (buffers) it there.  My results with this product though have been a rise in KH and no change at all in the Ph.
<Now this is interesting. Might I ask, have you taken the opportunity to query your water supplier (should be listed on your water bill) re your water quality? Contacted Aquarium Pharmaceuticals re?>
After a few days of using this, my Ph is the same and the KH is up to 7 dKH.
I have no idea what is in this stuff since it has no ingredients on the label.  
<I think, though am guessing that it's a mix of biphosphate (mono and disodium) and carbonates, bicarbonates... These last will raise the KH...>
I put some specks in my test tubes, and there it initially brings the Ph down, but within a few minutes of agitating the Ph comes back up, and the results on KH are a seemingly permanent rise in KH.  
<Mmm, yes, the shaking introduces a good deal of oxygen, drives out carbonic acid (CO2 in solution) will temporarily elevate pH... with resting you'd see it drop again>
My question to you is how can I lower my Ph and keep it (buffer it) there?
<Mmm, there are a few ways... am going to attempt to make this subject/monologue simple... You can/could start with "cleaner" source water (the cheapest, easiest to get, haul about: Reverse Osmosis... but deionized could do... you might go broke, but end up with big muscles hauling such prepared water about from other sources (outside your home)... You might just treat batches of your source water in a dedicated "trash can" (my fave the Rubbermaid "Brute" line... with cover, rolling cart...) with organic or inorganic (the last especially can be dangerous in concentration) acids, some understanding of alkalinity, testing...) You could utilize Discus (and even Severums) that are from generations that have been cultivated in captivity... and not worry (really) at all re your water chemistry... You could have another system with a good mass of live plant material that would condition new water, and move said water to your cichlid tank weekly and replenish it ala Boris Karloff...>
I have spent days reading your site and it is fascinating.  I often get side tracked reading through the plethora of information, but nothing yet directly addresses my issue.
<Will (gladly) admit to this disingenuous method of getting folks to read, consider "collateral" information, consider issues we deem important... If you have input re how to improve this process, please remit>
  For all that I understand to this point, with water as soft as I have I shouldn't have a problem with high Ph at all.    
<Ahh, my friend... this is so. You really don't... You will/would see in actual practice, using "just" the source water you describe, that likely you would have to add (bicarbonate likely) buffer to it, as with use/time your low buffering capacity will be exhausted and the pH slide downward... My real "advice" (what I would do) is to go forward with using the tap/source water, monitor pH, alkalinity, hardness... and adjust, along with good sized weekly water changes as time goes by. I wish you well. Bob Fenner>
Thanks,
Scott  

pH and gravel algae 10/25/05
I have a 55 gallon tank with 6 neon tetras, 3 platies, a Pleco, and a dwarf blue Gourami. My nitrates are around 20-30 with weekly water changes (about 10 gallons). No ammonia or nitrites. pH is currently 7.0. No natural light - fluorescent lighting 10hrs daily via a timer.
During cycling as our nitrites went up gravel algae began to take over requiring a weekly scrubbing of the tank and decorations. I've read and read about gravel algae and I think I'm contributing to feeding my pest. Our water PH is 7.8 out of the tap. I use Proper PH 7.0 to lower and keep it at 7.0 (never had a problem with pH swing though as our water is loaded with buffers). But on the bottle it even says you can't have live plants with this product as it is a phosphate buffer. (I was hoping to add live plants to my tank eventually to help with my nitrates and gives my fishies some snack food.) Not to mention that this gravel algae is driving me insane...
<Mmm, with the fishes you list, you would be better off giving up on pH modification through chemical means, and using live plants... for all sakes. I would leave off with the pH treatment, make weekly water changes with gravel vacuuming (gone over on WWM), and start with some hardy, floating plants... these will eliminate your algae problems, make the system far more viable for your fishes>
I thought of a solution that might help - as I do my weekly water change if I add a slight bit less PH 7.0 every week until it gets to 7.8 (using no PH 7.0)
<Ah, yes...>
that would reduce my phosphate to quit feeding the algae as much. But would a PH that high be harmful to my current inhabitants?
<You will find the pH doesn't "rise" to 7.8... but is moderated by influences in the system itself... just do the frequent partial water changes, add the plants... and you will see. Bob Fenner> 

High pH, alkalinity, and calcium
Bob,
We have a 20 gallon freshwater tank with cichlids. WE are trying to move them into a 46 gallon tank. The water in the new tank has been set up for almost 3 weeks and the ammonia and nitrite levels are fine. The problem lies with the pH, Alk, and Calcium. We cannot get the levels down. WE have tried water changes, proper pH, pH down, and water conditioner. We have been adding bacteria daily, and put trace elements, cichlid salt, and gravel from the old tank. The pet store said to get feeder fish to get the cycle going, they have been in there a week (only 4 have died) and no change in any levels. We have tested the tap water and the levels are not nearly as high as in the tank. What should we try next? We are becoming quite frustrated.
Thanks, Jennifer
<Many things to relate to you here... but do need to know more specifics... as you can appreciate I have no idea what sorts of cichlids you have (some enjoy very hard, alkaline, high pH water...), nor what your readings are for pH, Alk, and calcium... By and large however, I will tell you that systems tend toward acidity (they're reductive environments due to crowding, over-feeding in a small volume...) and so pH trends down... Your water may not be that unfavorable is what I'm trying to say... Get back to me with what your actual readings are, your type of cichlid fishes...
Re the feeder use... not a good idea... very often these Comet Goldfish have parasite problems that they transfer to a new system... Next time, just some food sans fishes, or a bunch of live plants, used gravel, used filter media...
Bob Fenner, www.WetWebMedia.com>

HELP! (concerns about high pH, use of muriatic (?) acid)
hi This is Bonnie Vest I would like to ask you a question is it safe to put food grade neorotic <Muriatic> acid in my freshwater tank to lower the ph and possibly clear the tank up??
<Think your spelling is off... but no to using this likely inorganic acid... unless it is very dilute and you absolutely understand what you're doing (particularly the relationship of alkalinity/alkaline reserve and pH, and have test kits for the former... very easy to get into trouble here. Unless you have livestock that requires a water of a pH outside this range, I would just wait, and your pH will drop in time.>
My tank is very cloudy and the ph stays @ 7.4 & higher I need help Please!!
<Take a read through the materials on "pH, alkalinity" on the freshwater part of our site (WetWebMedia.com) and read through the associated FAQs file... locate a bit of live plant as proscribed there, and relax... If set-up properly, your system will clear on its own soon enough. Bob Fenner>
Thanks again
Bonnie M. vest

Re: HELP! (concerns about high pH, use of muriatic (?) acid)
we have had our tank since January and the ph has stayed high and the tank cloudy are you sure there is nothing we can do to keep at least the cloudiness down??
<Hmm, all sorts... what sort of system is this? What filtration, substrate? Livestock? What do you feed? Is your tapwater cloudy right out of the source? What if anything do you treat it with before using? What is your maintenance routine? There are definite reasons for your system to be "out of balance" and easy ways for you to correct it. I will help you. Bob Fenner>

Freshwater aquarium water hardness question!
Hey guys, I was wondering if someone could give me a couple ticks and help me with this dilemma? My modest 20 gallon aquarium is about six weeks cycled and most all levels are in the 'kosher zone' ammonia at or around 0 ppm and nitrite about the same. Now to the crux of the problem, my ph is at 7.3 - 7.6 and my KH is at 2 dKH and my general hardness is only registering a reading of 1 dKH! 
<wow! Very soft... you should breed Discus, Angels or killifish...Ha!>
I'm using municipal water which I treat with ammo lock2 before water changes. I'm using the liquid reagent type kit from aquarium pharmaceuticals. The only store in my area sadly enough is Petco and seems most are under educated in regards to true water chemistry (wow imagine that, right!?!) So I have a sample tested and I get a line from the clerk that goes to the tune of, everything is looking good, ammonia, cl2, nitrite and so on... then she say's I have a very high ph and to do another huge water change maybe as much as 90% and it won't bother my tetra. I have one of two tetras left, however the day before I had done a 25% change, anyway so I buy the master freshwater test kit I spoke of earlier and do all of my tests and registered results noted above, my tap water when tested twice on different days read when tested: ph 7.0 - 7.2, GH 1 dKH, KH 2 dKH, is my test right if so what should I do to increase the GH for a rounded community tank? 
<if you like tetras and South American fishes as a rule, you won't need to bother too much with it. It will be a blessing to have such soft water. If however you get rid of the tetras and add livebearers, goldfish or African cichlids (not all together...<G>!), then you will definitely want to add a buffering product like those used for marine aquaria. In the meantime... some carbonate material like a bag or crushed coral in the filter or some sea shells/coral in the tank will help a bit. Do keep up with regular water changes too... very important>
I probably won't ask for advice from the mega-pet-mart's anymore either -the girl at Petco didn't know what effect the KH & GH had on the tank! (I'm nearly positive all they know is how to test samples and then tell folks to do huge water changes at any type of anomaly, I suppose that's fine if it corrects the problem, 
<yes... as a rule, when in doubt: do a water change>
but not always as I'm having issues with my water source. I had to research to find out about buffering for ph and the likes. Thanks in advance. another happy fish person, Lonnie
<cheers! Anthony>

Raising the pH Naturally
I currently have water that my Mbuna cichlids absolutely love. As a matter of fact I pull it straight out of the tap and do nothing else. It's well water don't ya know. Anyhow, I am moving to city water that is 7.1 as opposed to the 8.2 I enjoy now. Is there a way to raise the ph of the water up to around 8.2 naturally. By that I mean without adding buffer or something to that effect. I understand that between Aragonite Sand and crushed Coral as a substrate I might get it up to around 7.5, but how do I get it up around .6-.8 more? By the way it is a 125 gallon tank.  If it matters I have the following fish.
Labidochromis Caeruleus-3
Ps. johanni-2
Ps. demasoni-2
Ps. flavus-2
Ps. polit-2
Ps sp. Msobo-2
Ps. zebra-OB marmalade-5 (I think it is the right species)
Maylandia Greshakei-2
Thanks for any help or advice. Charles
<The easiest, safest way is going to be with a buffering compound. I like Seachem's buffer and salt for African cichlids. -Steven Pro>

- Freshwater pH -
<Greetings, JasonC here...>
Another question for ya guys I have a 55 Gal freshwater tank Ph 7.0 Nitrates are off the chart. Am doing water changes to lower the nitrates. The tap water Ph is 7.8 every time I make water changes the Ph in the tank goes up what is the best way to control a steady Ph rate of the 7.0 in the tank during water changes? <You might try the product, pH Down, which is a weak/mild acid that is safe to use in aquaria. Do add to the change water sparingly and test before adding to your tank.> Also I have a fine film floating on the top of the water what is it and how do I get rid of it? <Not really all that uncommon, you might try finding a surface skimmer for that Emperor filter.> I am running a undergravel with 2 power heads and an Emperor 400 with Bio wheels and carbon. Thanks again as always and Merry Christmas
Bill
<Cheers, J -- >

Malaysian Driftwood, pH Reduction
Hello.
<Scott F at your service>
Where I live the pH is high; therefore, the pH in my 10 gal tank is also high.
<Just how "high is "high"? It may be acceptable, depending upon the kinds of fish that you keep>
Someone suggested that I purchase some driftwood since it would help lower the pH in my tank, but I should let it soak since the wood would tint my water until the water becomes clear. Is there any way to speed up the process of getting rid of the brownish water? 
<Activated carbon in your filter should do the trick. Using driftwood, peat moss, etc. to lower pH may be hard to control-much depends on the rate of dissolution of the tannic acids, etc. present in the wood. If you are dead set on lowering the pH, you may want to use one of the prepared products designed just for this purpose >
Are there any other "natural" ways to lower the pH in a high pH area? 
<Do read this faq: "pH, Alkalinity, and You" in the freshwater articles section of wetwebmedia.com>
Thanks, Rachel
<And thank you for stopping by!>

Low dKH
Hello Ladies and Gents of the Crew,
<<Hello, hello…>>
I've recently set up a 29g freshwater tank - 10 days ago.  Water is cycling nicely.  In the tank I have 40lbs of gravel, several rocky caves, one piece of bogwood, Proquatics power filter at 200gph, an Airtech pump with bubble wand type thing, and a submersible heater.  Temp has remained steady at 77F.  There are five plants:
1 green Cabomba
1 green Lloydiella
1 red Ludwigia
1 Rotala indica
1 marble sword
I add 1 tbls Kent freshwater plant supplement per week.  Will the plant supplement be necessary after I have fish established in the tank?
<<Possibly. It certainly won’t hurt to keep using it as long as it says it’s safe for fish (I would certainly assume it is!) but you can try going without it and see if your plants start failing. I don’t think they will, I have several of these same plants in a tetra tank and they are all doing fine with no supplements.>>
I ran tests last night (AquaPharm liquid)
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 3
Nitrate - 5
pH - 7.1
GH - 3 dGH  (53.7ppm)
KH - 2 dKH  (35.8ppm)
I tested the tap water and the pH, GH, and KH are all the same as the tank water.
Okay, my real question is this:  Is this very acid water going to create a problem with the pH stability?
<<The low dKH could cause problems with Ph stability. Since your tank currently has no fish, this is the perfect time to raise the DKH. There are commercial products that will help with this.>>
And what kinds of fish will thrive in this environment?  I know Discus like the softness, but the pH is still 7.1 and besides that the tank is way too small.  Will the hardness rise as the tank completes its cycle?  Any suggestions on fish?  Is it too soft for Corydoras catfish?  (Just love those little guys.)
<< There are many fish that will do fine in these conditions and it’s fine for Corys. There is quite a range for what Corys can handle, pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 2.0 - 25.0. >>
One more thing, I am in the planning stages of my first saltwater tank.  It's either going to be 90g or 125g.  But, since testing this water, I am greatly concerned about its buffering capacity.  I want a FOWLR with a DSB.  Have been reading your website for about 3 weeks now.  So much info to process!  It's wonderful :o)  Thank you for your time.  It's greatly appreciated.
<<I’m by no means an expert on saltwater but I believe if you use a substrate specifically for saltwater tanks these will help greatly with your buffering capabilities. Crushed coral should do nicely.>>
Jen

Increasing buffering capacity in FW tanks
Dear Crew,
I have 5-gal. and 10-gal. freshwater tanks that are well-established.  Municipal tap water (ozonized, not chlorinated) is pH 6.2, GH 6 degrees, KH 6 degrees, zero nitrates.
I have platys, Cory cats and algae eaters in both tanks.
Both tanks test pH 6.0, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, GH 6, KH 6.  I just
bought a nitrate test kit and was shocked to find out both tanks are off the chart!  I do 20-30% water changes weekly but both tanks are somewhat overstocked (those oversexed platys keep having babies) and I do tend to overfeed a bit.  After using Aquamarine Nitrate Reducer (a bacterial product) an algae bloom cleared up completely so I thought I had solved the nitrate problem.  I plan to get Coralife Nitrate Remover and I will do more water changes, so I am not so concerned about the nitrate.
<I would be. If you are concerned with buffering, this is to counteract acidic wastes, IE: nitrates. Overfeeding, fouled substrate, filter media, filter sponges, bio-wheels and bio-balls all produce nitrates from nitrites. It is best to reduce these sources of nitrate pollution.>
My question is about pH and buffering capacity.  I am of the school of thought that you should not adjust pH, simply require that your fish get used to whatever your tap water is.
<This is a complete fallacy and is inhumane to your fish. Fish don't just adapt to improper pH, alkalinity and salinity that took perhaps millions of years to evolve to. That's why we don't see marine fish in the Amazon or sharks in your toilet. You are blessed with soft, acidic water.  This means you can either choose fish from soft acidic conditions (Discus lovers would die for your water) OR you can add buffer to add alkalinity/hardness and raise your pH. You only need to raise your pH to 7 and hardness a hair for all your fish. The nitrate is a bigger concern.>  
However, since my water is so soft, I am afraid it doesn't have much buffering capacity, and am worried that it will get too acid if I should be late with a water change.  Do I understand correctly from previous posts, that adding baking soda increases the buffering capacity (alkaline reserve)?  Or does it simply make the water more alkaline?  Also, live plants use up the carbonate and reduce the alkaline reserve?  Both tanks have flourishing Java Ferns and Water Sprite, which grows so fast that I have to weed out great handfuls of it.
<Again, this is nitrate, the key ingredient to most fertilizers. That your plants are growing profusely in acidic, soft water is an indication that these nutrients aren't that necessary as opposed to the nitrate levels.>
I had thought to get Kent pH Stable. Would that be appropriate?  I have some Seachem Equilibrium because I thought the fish or plants might like the water a bit harder.  Would that increase the buffering capacity?
<If these are FW buffers, only enough to raise the pH one point.>
I thought about Seachem Neutral Regulator or Kent pH Precise Neutral Regulator, but both soften the water!  Do they precipitate out the calcium and magnesium?  Shouldn't I be making my water harder, if anything?
<Just a simple buffer and waste reduction/prevention. Get the numbers down, stop overfeeding, OR get up to speed on maintenance for the load you have.>
Another question that NO one in the LFS has been able to answer -- I add 1/2 tsp. salt per gallon to make the platys happy (and they do indeed do better with the salt).  Is this enough salt to prohibit using "freshwater only" water treatments such as Nitra-Zorb, which is regenerated by salt?
<It may leach *some* by ion exchange with sodium ions, but not like the saline solution required for complete regeneration.>
I do not have a phosphate test kit.  Do I need to be concerned about the phosphate level, if I don't have an algae problem?  Does it hurt the fish?  Thank you for your assistance. Your web site has been invaluable. Sincerely, Marron
<An adequate program to reduce nitrates should also reduce any phosphates. If you are trying to stretch your maintenance schedule or are having nutrient problems, then test kits are vital. Better get after those water changes and gravel vacuuming!  Craig>

Re: acidifiers
Hi,
I just had a quick question.   I have used citric acid for farm uses to reduce the PH of drinking water for swine.  I was wondering if this could also be used to lower the PH of my aquarium water?  I am thinking if it is safe for animals to drink, then maybe it is safe for fish to swim and breathe in?
<Yes, this is a not-uncommon additive to some marine fish medications, particularly copper compounds, that otherwise "fall out of solution" due to the alkaline nature of seawater. Bob Fenner>
Thanks,
Jess

Re: acidifiers
Do you have any idea of a measurement to use to lower for instance 1 point.
I only have a freshwater aquarium.
Thanks for the quick response!!
<This is reliant on the alkalinity of your existing water. How to put this... water is more than just H2O... it has buffering capacity, mainly carbonates, bicarbonates that "resist" pH change... and all waters are different in this capacity (alkalinity). You can get/use an alkalinity test kit... or just try adding some citric to a given volume (outside the tank) and recording how much it shifts pH. Please see here re: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwph,alk.htm
Bob Fenner>

Re: acidifiers
sooooo if i am going to have a freshwater tank and currently our water measures about 8.5, would you use citric acid to get it down to that 7 range??
thanks again
<If that is the range your livestock enjoys, sure. Most commercial "pH adjusting solutions" are phosphoric acid... a few are dilute sulfuric... Citric is safer, to use than these, but can't be as easily stored in aqueous products (microbes start growing in it over time). Take a look on the Net re Citric Acid... it's very commonly used, relatively safe. Bob Fenner>

High pH question
Hello WWM Crew...
<Hello, Gage here avoiding real work as best I can.>
I'm setting up a 75-gallon FW community tank and I have a concern about pH. My tap water is 8.2 and I have done nothing to adjust it. I have read here and elsewhere that it is better to have the pH too high than to play with it and risk sudden changes.
<I agree>
On the other hand, I have heard of a great number of people who adjust their pH to exactly where they would like it to be.
<can work as well, its up to you.>
I have three Buenos Aires Tetras and three quite small Bala "Sharks" now and intend to ad Rainbow Shark, Clown Loach, Pleco or maybe Pictus Cat. Am I doing the right thing by leaving the pH alone?
Thanks. --Charlie
<My tap water has a rather high PH as well.  I do not adjust it and get along ok.  If you would like to adjust it get a separate container dedicated to mixing water, the large 44gal Brute garbage cans work well.  Mix your water and adjust the PH in there before adding it to the tank.  If you do decide to adjust the PH, bring the PH down in your main tank slowly.  There is a HUGE difference between the ph measurements.  We have got some good articles on the subject.  If you have not checked them out already I strongly recommend it. -Gage
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwph,alk.htm  >

pH is dropping!
I have an 80 gallon tank with African cichlids and have lava rock as hiding places for them.  I measured the ph in the tank and was really surprised to find out that the ph was 6.3 instead of 7.5 to 8.2 and was wondering if the lava rock will lower the ph that much.  
<Generally a pH drop like that happens when the water hasn’t been changed in a while. The longer a tank runs without water changes, the lower the pH will get. Lava rock shouldn’t drop it like that.>
I plan on adding Seachem Malawi Victoria buffer to raise the ph but was concerned about ph shock.  The Malawi Africans that are in there are healthy along with some babies and I was also wondering if I should let things go or go ahead and add the above buffer.
<Rather than adding a chemical at this point, see if you can gradually bring it up with water changes. Chemical fixes are only going to be short term solutions. But whichever way you go, the pH should be brought up gradually, not all at once. Ronni>

Clown Loaches & German Blue Rams...
I've really enjoyed your website and have a question for you regarding water parameters for my Freshwater Aquarium.  
<Thank you, I’ll do my best to answer>
I live in Northern New Jersey where we have relatively hard water and Im trying to keep my German Blue Rams and my Clown Loaches comfortable.  I have read that both the Clown Loaches and the Rams prefer softer water.  I have a 55 gallon tank with 3 German Blue Rams, 8 Clown Loaches (four 6" loaches, two 3" loaches, two 1 to 1-1/2" loaches). In addition I have two 5" - 6" Pink Tailed Chalceus, four 4" Iridescent Sharks, three 2" tri-color sharks, one small Pleco, and 3 small Cory cats.  I am planning on upgrading to a larger tank in about 6 months knowing that my sharks are probably going to outgrow this one.
<Yes, you’ll definitely need a larger tank very soon. Your Clown loaches could reach sizes of 12” each and the Pleco can get around 20”.>
My Tank:
PH - 7.6
Ammonia - 0
Nitrites - 0
GH - 9
KH - 4
I have recently put some of Fluvals Peat Granules into my Fluval 304, hoping to soften the water and lower the PH levels.  I have been doing small (10%) water changes weekly.  And I have provided ample hiding places for the Clown Loaches (there is a house/cave on either side of the tank for them to hide in, as well as plants and rocks for additional cover).  So my question is what can I do in addition to the Peat Granules in my filter, in order to give my Loaches and Rams better water quality (Softer - Lower PH).  I am currently just using tap water with conditioner to do my water changes and would like to provide the ideal environment for my fishies.
< The peat should help and really there’s not a lot else you can do that isn’t going to cause fluctuations. The best thing to do is provide a stable environment. They’ll be much better off in a stable but slightly hard condition than in a fluctuating softer one.>
Any suggestions or information you can offer would be much appreciated!!! Thanks, Stephanie Ward
<You're welcome! Ronni>

Water too basic
    I'm having some trouble with my water ph levels.  I'm a new aquarium owner of a 20 gallon tank and about a week ago I tried to increase the buffering capacity of the water by adding some alkalinity buffer drops.  But then the ph sky-rocketed off the charts when I tested it and hasn't gone down since.  Even when I made a 60% water change the other day! What can I do to lower the ph (I have 4 red eye tetras currently) without having it just bounce right back up?
<Exactly how high is it? If it’s high but still under about 8, your fish will adapt and do fine in this, just make sure to fully acclimate new arrivals. If it’s over that, you’ll need to isolate that cause of why it’s staying so high. Generally when pH goes up it will also come back down, especially if it was raised with chemicals. To get it back down now you can do water changes with reverse osmosis water (many LFS offer this for sale), you can slowly but consistently bring it down with products like pH Down, or you might be able to do it with baking soda. Baking soda will generally raise your pH but a little experiment a friend and I tried found that it will only raise it to a certain point and then it will begin lowering it. I would try the RO water before anything else but definitely make sure there’s nothing in the tank causing it to stay high and also check the pH of your tap water. Ronni>

Safe lowering of pH
I'm sending this email for my dad. We're not sure if you can answer this, but we thought we'd try anyway.
<We'll certainly try to help.>
He would like to add rams to his tank which already includes discus, cardinal tetras, angelfish, and Neons.
<Tank size?  How many of each fish, currently?  Please do be aware that cardinal and neon tetras will be midnight snacks for the angelfish (perhaps the discus, too), eventually.>
The PH of the tap water is 7.4  He has been unable to keep rams.
<Woah.  I'm surprised the cardinals and Neons are alive.  They almost require low pH.>
Do u have any suggestions to lower the PH?
<Using peat moss in your filter and adding bogwood to the tank will help.  The pH out of my tap is a whopping 9.2, but after filtering with peat, it comes down to 7.0-ish.  I imagine, starting with a pH of 7.4, you can get yours lower.  However, this will stain the water kind of a tea-like brown.  Personally, I find this extremely natural and gorgeously attractive, but some people dislike the coloring tremendously.  Another alternative would be to use reverse osmosis/deionized water (RO/DI), which is a pretty involved topic.  Begin reading on RO/DI here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/rofaqs.htm and also the other RO/DI FAQs.>
Adding PH drops hasn't helped at all.
<Not surprising.  Chemical means of altering pH is not very effective, often short-termed, and will result in a pH roller coaster that may ultimately end up killing the fish.  Try peat and bogwood - and to keep things stable for water changes, use a Rubbermaid container/trash can for making water change water ahead of time, so you can soak some bogwood or peat in it to get the pH to that of the aquarium, so as not to shock the fish.  Peat moss that can be purchased at landscaping/gardening stores is okay, as long as there are *no* fungicides, pesticides, etc. added to it.  I believe the brand I use is "Sunshine".  -Sabrina>

Freshwater Sting Rays pH changing...
To change my Ph level is it ok to use Muriatic Acid in my aquarium with Female Sting Rays which might be pregnant
Thanks, John
<I caution against (I would not do this) using Muriatic (aka non-stock molarity hydrochloric) acid. Use sodium biphosphate (the most common pH reducer sold as such in the aquarium interest), or peat, or other means. Bob Fenner>

- Carbonate Hardness is Too... Well... Hard -
Hi Guys,
<Greetings.>
I have had my new tank (250L) up and running for about a month now. I put two of my existing bristle nosed catfish in the tank to cycle it. I know that these catfish are very sensitive to ammonia so I have monitored it closely. I added a bacteria solution (called CYCLE) as well to kick start the process. Doing this has worked very well. I have never been able to detect any ammonia but I am now seeing nitrates.
<Sounds like your cycle has come full circle.>
But on to my problem; I like my plants. I understand that they need a certain level of carbonate hardness. My tap water has low carbonate hardness (1-3 dH varying) and I have tried to raise it. I thought 5-6 dH would be OK. I bought some "KH up" powder from my local fish store (who are usually excellent) but all it seemed to do was raise my pH (from 6.5 to 8!). I asked them about this and they said that some pH rise was expected but that by adding acid this would go down and all would be fine. So I tried adding acid, I had to add a very large amount (around 100g which is 10 times what I would normally have to use). At this point I was concerned (the catfish would have had a hard time with the pH swing) but thought this would be OK. The pH was back were I wanted it and nothing had died. I checked the carbonate hardness again and to my horror it was 0. From this I had two thoughts: 1- The "KH up" powder was not "KH up" powder (but proved to be a very good way to raise pH and buffer the water) or 2- That some how the addition of the acid "removed" the carbonate hardness.
<Bad move on the acid addition, or perhaps better said, shame on the fish store that recommended it. Essentially, the acid consumed the few buffers you had, and that was that... dH of zero.>
I haven't tried to raise my KH since this rude shock but I want to keep my plants going strong. Can I have a low pH (6-6.5) and 5-6 dKH? <I think so, but likely not much higher.> If so how? <Well, first off you really shouldn't be making such drastic changes in pH - although your catfish have made it this far, I'd be willing to bet they're under tremendous stress. I'd just add baking soda - sodium bicarbonate - to the water you do water changes with, and change about 5% of your water each week. Give the tank some time, it is rather new, and I think things will stabilize.> Is my situation unusual? <Not really.> What chemical should I add to increase carbonate hardness? Are there any products available that raise KH and not pH? <Not that I am aware of.>
Any help would be appreciated.
Cheers,
Adam,
Australia
<Cheers, J -- >

- Softened Source Water, Follow-up Again -
A marine buffer in a fresh water tank?
<I'm sorry, my bad - just stick with the baking soda, it's really the primary ingredient in just about any commercial buffer product, fresh water or marine.
Cheers, J -- >

Can't Keep it Up! 
>I read the FAQs, but still have a question. 
>>Ok, SHOOT! 
>My pH is around 6.0 to 6.2, comes out of tap at 7.6, no ammonia or nitrites, temp 78. 40 Gal. tall, undergravel filter, power head, lots of bubbles... 
>>"Lots of bubbles"? From what? If from the powerhead, then I'm wondering if you're using the venturi (which means superfine bubble-action), which isn't very good for your fish. The bubbles can get caught in the gills and cause something similar to the bends. Just an FYI, and a "heads up". 
>...planted, do have 2 pieces of driftwood. My existing fish seem happy. Just can not seem to keep pH up. 
>>Ok, if they're happy, why do you want to change it? Especially if you've got a planted tank, the plants will be less tolerant in their acceptable pH range than most of the freshwater fish we have available to us today. 
>Don't like to add chemicals for this. LFS said it is because I live in Atlanta, GA, and it is hard to keep pH up with undergravel filter in this area. 
>><giggle> Oh yeah? So, what they're saying is that if you used, oh say.. a BioWheel it wouldn't be so low? I'd be looking at the driftwood first, the alkalinity of the water second (or maybe first). 
>We do 25%-30% changes every 3-4 weeks, vacuuming gravel. I do not overfeed. I have 1 Angel, 3 tetras, 2 Siamese algae eaters, 2 boesemanni rainbows, 2 turquoise rainbows, 2 Otocinclus catfish, 1 clown loach (I know he needs a friend, his partner died) 
>>No he doesn't, he'll be fine. You do need to watch that fish load, though, which can be another contributor the dropping pH. 
>1 dwarf Gourami. Could the problem be the undergravel filter? 
>>No, not the filter itself. The substrate might be taken into consideration, but if it's actual aquarium gravel then it's highly unlikely. 
>Or should I do the aeration test, have taken samples to LFS... did not say anything out of ordinary... just low pH... but I have tested theirs and it's about the same. 
>>Alright, so, if their water is from the same municipality then I think we can safely assume that this water has very low alkalinity--in terms of "buffering" ability, as opposed to alkaline in terms of pH--this means that the water cannot hold the pH stable very well. It is VERY easily fixed, Monica. 
>Also have a 10 Gal. quarantine tank with 2 guppies... also with undergravel filter... pH is low there as well. 
>>We have terrific consistency here, all pointing to the same thing. I don't think I'd even spend the money to test for what's pretty much in our face. 
>I have checked hardness before but can't remember what it was.... didn't really understand all of that... but reading the FAQ's enlightened me some.... thanks. Thanks in advance for any help. Monica 
>>Alright Monica, your solution here is VERY simple, all you need are two things, a length of old pantyhose (no holes, please) and some crushed coral or dolomite. Just make a "snake" of the crushed coral with the pantyhose, and bury it in the gravel. That's it. It will take a while, but after about a month or so the crushed coral will help to bring the pH up as well as buffer the water. Do watch your plants during this time, they may not respond well to this. If you don't feel comfortable with this method, then consider looking into some of the many fine freshwater buffering products, especially those offered by SeaChem (an excellent company that offers very good quality products). This may ultimately be a better route to take to avoid bringing your pH up too high (in the >8 range), which is far more detrimental to your fish and plants. A quick Google search has netted me products from both Kent and Seachem that will achieve this at very reasonable prices. They may seem to be "chemicals", but are usually in actuality mineral in content. Marina

Buffering Fresh, 2.1
>Marina,
Thanks for the advice.
>>Quite welcome.
>!ST bubbles from the bubble stones, not the powerhead.
>>Gotcha, so you've got excellent oxygen/carbon dioxide (O2/CO2) exchange.
>I did check KH and GH.... both WAY TOO LOW...... so I guess the best thing to do is to find some of the Seachem products.
I do like Seachem best, as I said.  The products were quite easy to find online, and relatively inexpensive.
>I have read that clown loaches do much better as a pair or more? Is that not so?
>>They may be a bit happier, but honestly I've never known them to do poorly if kept singly, either.  They can grow quite large, though, something to consider.
>Thanks for all the help. Monica
>>Again, very welcome, I'm glad I was able to answer your questions.  Marina

Strange pH situation 
>Hi, 
>>Hi Caryn. 
>First, I want to say "Thank You" in advance for offering the public such a service as this. Now I have a question that no one can seem to answer. My mother in law has a 26 gallon bow front tank that we got her for Christmas. I set it up (she knows nothing about fish but enjoys them) . We have goldfish in it. They have been doing great until the other day. There were 4 and 2 of them died. I tested the ammonia and the pH. I had a feeling it was the pH and it was. 
>>So, you're saying that you've been monitoring pH, and saw that there was a big swing in a short amount of time? 
>It was around 6.0 : ( very bad. I tested it out of the faucet and it was about 7.0 (still low). So my question is : What makes the pH go down??? 
>>Well, I'm not so sure that the pH necessarily dropped quickly, which is what would kill the fish very quickly. As for what can make it drop, lack of maintenance, excess food, certain types of decorations, all combined with water that has poor buffering ability (called alkalinity) can factor in. 
>I can't figure for the life of me what would make it go down even lower than it went in. 
>>See above. 
>I did a 5gal water change and put a large sea shell in the tank and it's not come up at all. 
>>A single shell probably won't do it, you'll need to add more than that, some crushed coral in a piece of pantyhose or similar calcareous substance. 
>I am going to get some pH UP and use it. I don't like chemicals but have no choice at this time. I don't know what else to do. 
>>I would strongly recommend against this, as it's going to be too easy to kill the remaining fish. I think that another factor here is that the fish in question may have simply reached a critical mass/density for the given water volume and filtration. I have none of this information, but can tell you that goldfish are very dirty as far as fish go. If the pH has dropped suddenly, then several large water changes is more in order, and only vacuum small sections of the gravel at a time (wait at least a week in between). If they're being overfed you'll see the results in the substrate, so that may need curtailing as well. 
>I know it has to come up slowly. I just don't understand. Does anyone there have ANY ideas ??? Thanks so much for your time, Caryn 
>>As above is what I would do, and don't add any more fish. Depending on the breed of fish, they may need larger quarters sooner rather than later as well. Marina

How to lower dKH
Hi. My dKH is 17 how can i lower it. I made water change, but it go up. Tks.
< Check your tap water first. Some areas of the country have high levels to start with. Check your substrate. Some things like shells and crushed coral sand will kick it back up. Check your rocks and decorations. Sedimentary rocks have been cemented together and may leech carbonates into the water. If your tap water is too high then you will need to remove these carbonates with a reverse osmosis filter or a deionization unit.-Chuck>

Lowering PH in water
Gentlemen: I would like to inquire of you if you have ever heard of a product called Basic H.
I read on an Angelfish web site to use Basic H for lowering your PH in your aquarium water. The only thing I can find on the web in reference to this is something sold through Amway. I would like to know if you are familiar with this product and it indeed is the product sold through Amway.
< I did a Google search on basic-h and could find no list of ingredients so I can't really comment on how or why it works to lower pH. I will assume that it has some sort of phosphoric acid in it. If this is true then you could do the same thing with Muriatic or phosphoric acid from a pool supply place. If you really want to lower the pH with chemicals and additives then put your water in a 5 gallon bucket and then add the chemical of choice. Read the ph every day until it is stable. Then adjust the amount of chemical needed to bring the pH down to where you want it and keep it there. Never add any chemicals to your tank directly. Radical changes in pH can be and are often deadly to fish. Many fish can handle hard water but their eggs have a difficult time surviving.-Chuck>
Thank you; Keith

Big Pleco in a New Tank
Hello there. My name is Dayna and I have recently found your very helpful website. <Thank you> I was wondering if you could answer a few questions that I have? <Fire away> My husband and I recently (3 weeks ago to be exact) set up a 55 gallon freshwater aquarium. We only have a large 11" Pleco and no other fish. <That's a big Pleco to add to an uncycled tank> We are having a little problem with the ph. We bought Sodium Biphosphate recommended by our local fish store. It seems to work that day, but then the next couple of days the ph goes back to 7.6. <7.6 is not out of line unless you plan on keeping fish that require a more acidic level> Do you have to add this stuff daily? Is it toxic to the fish? Or could the ph problem be because the tank hasn't completely gone through it's "cycle"? <I would not add it at all unless the plan is for Discus or Rams. It is far, far better to get fish whose needs match, or can adapt to, your local water conditions. Once you change your pH you are committed to matching it with every water change. Should the need to do a very large water change arise, being off just a few tenths could cause pH shock. It's the swing in pH that kills, not an "incorrect", but steady, level> Also, the Pleco seems to defecate quite a lot. <Welcome to my world, normal for these large waste producers> I know that's what we all got to do, but could we be feeding him too much? We feed him one disc of the algae food. <No, that's not a lot at all for an 11" Pleco. Too little, if anything. Try giving him some fresh vegetables. A piece of zucchini, squash, carrot etc.. Also offer a small raw shrimp a few times a month. Attach to a rock and add at night. Remove leftovers in the AM. But wait until the tank is cycled to start target feeding him> The bottom of the tank and the plants have quite a bit of feces (looks very unattractive) even though we vacuum. But, when we vacuum it also takes a lot of the water out and I was wondering if it's okay to be taking out that much water that frequently? <Yes, in fact great! Small frequent water changes have many advantages in the long run. However it will slow down the establishment of your cycle. Keep them up so your Pleco does not have to go through a major ammonia or nitrite spike. Having the ability to easily do these frequent water changes is another reason not to mess with pH.> One more question. Do you recommend air stones and how many? The local fish store says that since we have the bio-wheel filtration <What size filter?> and under gravel filtration, with power heads, that we don't need any. <I would remove the UGF. They can have vast amounts of waste build up under them. If this decays in a "dead" spot (no O2) a deadly gas can be released into the water. They are also very hard to clean without tearing everything up and releasing the junk into the water. Your bio wheel, if it is the correct size, will provide far superior bio filtration than the UGF. The gravel vac will remove, not hide the waste. As to adding airstones, no problem either way. If you have the proper size filter they are not really needed, but can not hurt. I use two Emperor 400 filters on my 55 gallon Pleco tank and no airstones. My six Plecos do fine> Yet I have read that it's recommended to have 5 air stones for a 55 gallon. <That seems a bit excessive, but wouldn't cause a problem> Please help! We really want to get some pretty fish soon but are too scared to add any. <Good, do not add anything else yet. Check for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Do not add any more fish until ammonia and nitrite spike and crash to zero, and nitrates are rising. Until then daily partial water changes are called for. After your cycle is established you can adjust your water changes to keep nitrates below 20ppm. Keep your stocking level light. As you are seeing, that Pleco alone adds a lot of waste to the water. Heavy filtration is called for, but NOT undergravel filtration. Don>  
Thanks!
Dayna

Plan of attack for very soft, very basic tap water
Hey, WWM-ites,
<Hi Glen>
I've seen lots of advice on what to do with low pH, soft water, and what to do with high pH, hard water.  We have high pH, soft water - details in a sec - and I'd appreciate your views on what I think I need to do.
<Okay>
Our tap water is pH 9.8-10, according to my newly calibrated pH meter (and in line with what the City reports).  Alkalinity is around 60 ppm, according to Austin's water quality report, and total hardness is 85 ppm.  Those are both in line with what I get at the tap with my strip-based test kit (GH registers ~75 ppm and KH between 50 and 80 ppm) and my reagent-based test (3 dKH).  (Hey, I'm an engineer - there's no such thing as too much testing or data!)
<Agreed>
We have a standard 55g tank and Emperor 400, and are three weeks into cycling it for a freshwater community tank.  We won't put anything into this one that requires weird water - tiny fish (Endler's, Tetras, Otos, small Corys) and a trio of Swordtails - so I set the tank up with water adjusted to a neutral pH, using sodium biphosphate (don't remember specific product or manufacturer).
<Not important... all the same molecule>
I started using a phosphate-type buffer to get it stabilized at 7.0-ish, but will stop using the phosphate buffer because we're going to replace most of our plastic plants (and some silk ones) with the real thing.  We have some petrified wood and "pagoda stone" (both tested pH neutral) for caves, and will be putting in a small piece of driftwood for the Otos.  Temperature is set to 77F.  1.5-2" deep small gravel for substrate.
<Okay>
Here's my approach to the water.  Please let me know if there's something I should do differently:
1.  20% water changes once a week, with substrate vacuuming.
2.  Dechloraminate 20-25 gallons at a time (in a dedicated new trash can) - easier and more uniform to treat a bunch all at once.
3.  Bring the pH down to 7.0 (using the sodium biphosphate product (anything better?)).
<Mmm, in the long-er haul? I'd be looking into a reverse osmosis device... actually I would (and do) use this for your general cooking, drinking purposes as well... better for you>
4.  Boost the KH and GH into more the 125 ppm range using calcium carbonate.  (Would something else, or a different value, be better?  If we actually adhere to this rate of water replacement, does our tap water need additional buffering, or is the little bit that's there going to be enough?)
<I would likely leave the present buffering, calcium as it is out of the tap... if you get, use RO or DI (or both!) you might want to supplement here>
5.  Aerate and tweak temperature overnight before a water change.
6.  Judicious chemistry monitoring between changes.
<Sounds good, very thorough>
Since RO water still needs to be tweaked with pH adjustment, buffer, and essential minerals - why not adjust the tap water?
<Mmm, let's see... just easier to start with less stuff in it... more consistent product...>
Also, I bet the pH of RO water around here is still quite high, given the tap water to start with - I'm going to get a gallon on the way home and test it.
<Should start out near neutral to slightly lower than 7.0...>
Also, since the tap water is so soft to begin with, the double-whammy of a buffer and an acidic product shouldn't have too much impact on osmotic pressure, right?
<Correct>
Thanks again for your help!
Glen
<Thank you for your involvement, sharing. Bob Fenner>

Re: Low pH Levels
Hi Bob
Thanks for the quick reply to my question.
My tap water runs between 5-6 dKH, my aquarium water is near that, testing between 4-5 dKH.
<Mmm, a  bit low... recommended that it be 10 to 12 dKH or 3.5 to 4.5 mEq/liter or 175 to 225 ppm...>
I understand that gravel is a source for acidic activity, but I do clean it regularly with my water changes,
<Mmm, the biological activity that results in acidification occurs whether the gravel is cleaned to a large degree>
I use the Anaconda water siphon kit to accomplish this since I am dealing with rather large amounts of water.
<Good idea>
I have heard of aquariums with no substrate at all...do you recommend this in order to reduce the acidic activity?
<Not in general... there are set-ups, reasons for some designs to do away with substrate/s, but the vast majority of aquarium systems are bettered by having them>
As for the gravel currently in use, I have no idea as to its calcium content. As with all gravels I have seen at the local fish stores, it is merely labeled Mexican beach sand (gravel) or some other non descriptive label that doesn't give me a very good insight as to its actual chemical makeup.
<Can be tested relatively easy... most simply with a bit of distilled or good RO water adding a bit of gravel, checking the resultant pH, alkalinity in a day or two.>
This gravel is of varying sizes and colors and looks rather good in the aquarium, which was my primary reason for choosing it. If you can recommend a particular type/brand, or perhaps an online site that has a more complete description of its products, I would be sincerely thankful now that you have given me a clue as to what I should be shopping for.
<At this point, I would add the more alkaline crushed material to your canister, add the baking soda to your change water... leave the gravel as is>
As for the decor of the tank. I would love to add some rock(s) to the tank, not only for decor, but the fish also seem to appreciate having someplace to "hangout".
<You are correct here>
Would it be possible to give me some tips here on what kind/type of rock(s) I should consider adding.
<Again, the simplest assay is mentioned above>
Once again, it has been my experience that these things are displayed at the local fish store, but are seldom labeled as to their type...limestone, marble, or whatever.
<You might even "collect your own", or check a local garden, rock and block supply outlet...>
If you know of an online site where I could shop for these things, it would be most helpful to me. Locally there are only a couple of fish stores, and they are somewhat small with a limited selection of materials.
<Dr.s Foster & Smith have about the best selection of aquarium supplies outright... seem to be fair priced, consumer-oriented>
One other thing...I currently only clean my Eheim canister when the flow begins to bog down...maybe every eight weeks or so. Would it be helpful to clean it more often?
<Mmm, yes... about once a month... a good idea to incorporate their Grob Flocken or such, or two "pads" that you can switch out just the outer, dirtier one, move the older into the "number one" position... to preserve nitrification>
I read somewhere that flow should be your guide on this, but would be interested in your thoughts.
<Better to not wait for diminished flow>
I would like to thank you once again for your expert advise, and taking the time to share your knowledge with those of us with a somewhat...umm...lesser understanding.
Randy
<Glad to share, be of service. Bob Fenner>

Buffering Fresh, 2.1
>Marina,
Thanks for the advice.
>>Quite welcome.
>!ST bubbles from the bubble stones, not the powerhead.
>>Gotcha, so you've got excellent oxygen/carbon dioxide (O2/CO2) exchange.
>I did check KH and GH.... both WAY TOO LOW...... so I guess the best thing to do is to find some of the Seachem products.
I do like Seachem best, as I said.  The products were quite easy to find online, and relatively inexpensive.
>I have read that clown loaches do much better as a pair or more? Is that not so?
>>They may be a bit happier, but honestly I've never known them to do poorly if kept singly, either.  They can grow quite large, though, something to consider.
>Thanks for all the help. Monica
>>Again, very welcome, I'm glad I was able to answer your questions.  Marina