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Yeah, your KH is just like mine, zero. The only solution I have found is crushed coral in my filter and regular water changes to keep my pH from rising more than .5 The point is to keep it from crashing and to keep my bacteria processing the ammonia and nitrite. This sin't a bad thing though...

You can get a nylon sock foot or a mesh filter bag and put a hand full of washed crushed coral substrate (like the kind used for african cichlid or marine tanks) and put it in your filter to stabilize your pH, like is described in the article linked in my signature. This is a very inexpensive...

Give them a chance to adjust, and keep an eye on your ammonia and nitrite. Chances are, they will pull through just fine. Sounds as if they have gone through quite a bit of stress, and they need some time to adjust is all.

It's an algae bloom, yes. Green water is free floating algae triggered by ammonia and light. The 3 day blackout method works well, but unless you take care of the ammonia the problem will more than likely return. Overfeeding, too high of a fish load, an improperly cycled tank, a dirty tank...

Green water is from the presence of ammonia and too much light, be it sunlight or too much or too long tank lighting.

I can understand your frustration. This hobby shouldn't have you heated all the time.

It should keep you water buffered for quite a while. It's difficult to predict exactly how long, there are many variables involved.

If the pH is already up, then there is definitely something buffering your water in the pebbles. Ok then, from this we can draw the conclusion that you do have a low KH (really soft water.) No more stressing! You can simply take a handfull of these pebbles and place them in a mesh bag inside...

Yeah, a KH of 4 is indeed soft. You can add baking soda to help buffer your KH and keep your pH from crashing. You have good water for SA cichlids and soft water fish. This also means that you will need to find out exactly how long you can go between water changes before your pH starts to...

It sounds like those pebbles may have had some marble or limestone in them that had a bufferring effect on your water chemistry. You could take a hand full of those pebbles and put them in a small container of water for a few days and then check the pH. An airstone with airline and pump will...

Oh no! Nah, I don't have any tanks running anymore. My fish are all at my mother in law's house. She still has both of your rams though, they are still doing well. To the OP, read this thread: http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/402016-questions-about-ph-and-kh/ A good discussion...

Hi Gvilleguy!

The rock will certainly help some, but it needs flow over it to work properly. The more flow, the more effective it will be. But wait until you know your KH. If it's less than 4 (it takes less than 4 drops to change the color in the test tube if you get an API kit) then that explains...

I had a 72 gallon US bowfront tank, and my fish bred in there and grew to adult size in no time. No problems whatsoever. They certainly didn't appear to be too stressed because their enclosure had a curved front.

Go ahead and dose 2ppm and see what happens. At this point you will only strengthen your bacteria colonies. But don't be surprised if it takes a while for your levels to drop.

Hi Mike!

Akasha, My water has a really low KH, so I have to use crushed coral to avoid pH crashes. That is what I suspect is going on with your tank as well. You might want to invest in a KH test kit to verify all of this, and it will probably make all of this come into perspective for you. That's why...

CO2 gassing off?

With soft water, they will dissolve rather quickly and might affect your hardness and pH.

I enjoyed cleaning and performing maintenance on my tanks, it's part of the whole experience. Kind of like when a person restores an old car, they don't do it just to see it completed, they do it for the whole experience. It's quite rewarding. That's why I recommend not only keeping fish...

That pH reading doesn't surprise me. It looks like your kH is on the low side (which is good if you plan on keeping acidic loving fish.) But it might make finishing out your cycle a little problematic. With those readings, you might stall out at this point. I would do a complete water change...

Here are some pictures: M. boesemani That should help you tell the difference between male and female

Akasha, read the link in my signature. That might help you a little and keep your pH from falling.

The tannins do stain the water, and they are good for the fish. Rarely in nature do you encounter perfectly clear water. Leaves and wood leach these tannins into the water and this discolors the water making it yellowish. In other words, it's natural. On the other side, some don't like the...

Over time, they will slowly dissolve. The harder your water, the more slowly they will dissolve. But if your water is more acidic, they will develop holes in them and dissolve rather quickly. I've seen this in a matter of months.

No need to poke sticks. In the decomposition process, ammonia is one of many chemicals given off. Fish food can be used as can a shrimp (prawn for you guys/gals across the pond) or almost any other organic material. The drawback is regulating the amount of ammonia given off. Household...

I liked my tank of blue green algae. They are a nice shade of blue green. At least you can see them :D

Beach sand will be from coral or bits of shells and will raise your pH and hardness plus will most likely be full of salt. It's just not a good idea and might even be illegal to harvest it without a permit or license.

I can't speak for other websites, but on this forum we have quite a few people who genuinely want to help others. Sometimes a bit of bad advice does get though, but this is a discussion forum so given time someone who does know will chime in and give good advice. I know when I first joined...

It's true what they say, large tanks are easier than smaller ones.

Fish are relaxing. After you change their water, feed them, clean the tank, clean the filter, test the water...... lol :) Be patient, you'll get there!

Cons to canister filters: More expensive If they spring a leak, your tank empties into the floor Not always practical in every situation (a canister on a 10 gallon is overkill) You need an enclosure (cabinet, etc) to hide it and the tubing If you ever need to prime one, they can be a pain (it...

It's best not to mess with your hardness. Many well meaning fish keepers do much more harm than good trying to get perfect water for their fish when the water they have will do just fine. Most often some LFS employee or website says that a certain fish comes from water that has xx pH and...

He can do without 1/3 of his media. The good thing about the bacteria in our filters is they are quite robust. He will need to keep an eye on his ammonia and nitrite levels to make sure he isn't going into a mini cycle, but even if he does his tank will rebound quickly and yours will get quite...

Be careful with the coral. Read the link in my signature regarding that subject.

It seems to me the bright light and lack of cover. Fish naturally seek cover when they feel exposed. If you add a background to the rear of the tank, they will most likely feel more secure.

Many of these one filter system for all tanks run huge UV sterilizer systems too.

Bleach to sterilize. It kills the nasties. Triple rinse and once completely dry, all the chlorine evaporates. Vinegar or lemon juice to remove the hard water spots + elbow grease (read: work) Take it easy on the silicone, vinegar will soften them.

You may have hit the nail on the head earlier. It could happen like this: Some fish shops order the stuff via the mail. It comes in a styro box with cold packs, but by the time it gets there during the summer months it may be defrosted (like if it sits in the back of a delivery truck in the...

As mentioned African cichlids are about the only fish suited to that type of substrate (gravel) as it makes the water alkaline (high pH). On the plus side, they are very colorful!