How are these related. A guy at the local fish store after taking 2 dead Brand new Rams in, tested the water and found trace amount of ammonia which he said wasn't good, and my alkalinity was low. He then went on to tell me how the alkalinity had something to do with the bacteria and sold me some "Ph Stable" which hasn't done much to any of my params.. Maybe Raised the PH a little. ANy gurus have an answer?
Alkalinity and Bacteria...
- Thread starter bgraber
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Alien Anna
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Please do two things for me:
1. Don't touch any pH modifying chemicals with a 10 foot pole. pH is extraordinarily complicated and fluctuating pH can kill your fish quicker than you can say "Fish". Plus pH is rarely a problem provided its stable and it most particularly isn't a problem when you've got an un-cycled tank, which is the major problem you need to tackle!
2. Follow the link in my sig and read about tackling your serious ammonia problem, which could potentially kill your fish. You need to know about cycling a tank.
Having read my article, if you have further questions, please come back to me. If nothing else, it should illustrate that that guy didn't have a clue about fish keeping and was trying to rip you off by selling you useless products.
1. Don't touch any pH modifying chemicals with a 10 foot pole. pH is extraordinarily complicated and fluctuating pH can kill your fish quicker than you can say "Fish". Plus pH is rarely a problem provided its stable and it most particularly isn't a problem when you've got an un-cycled tank, which is the major problem you need to tackle!
2. Follow the link in my sig and read about tackling your serious ammonia problem, which could potentially kill your fish. You need to know about cycling a tank.
Having read my article, if you have further questions, please come back to me. If nothing else, it should illustrate that that guy didn't have a clue about fish keeping and was trying to rip you off by selling you useless products.
My tank is cycled.. no serious ammonia problem, the guy said there was but wasn't.. No problem other than the alkalinity was low. Bacteria needs alkalinity higher was my question.. ? And that was my take, he really didn't know what he was talking about and was trying to pin some reason on me why the two fish had died.. All others were fine.. I noticed when I put them in the tank, they never really settled in and "breathed" heavily and rapidly the whole time.. I acclimated them for a long time too before actually putting them in.. Grr.
Alien Anna
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I'm glad your tank was cycled (no ammonia and no nitrite) which means we don't know why your rams died.
To answer your question, alkalinity has nothing to do with bacteria, within reason. The beneficial bacteria can tolerate anything from less than pH 5 to pH 10.
To answer your question, alkalinity has nothing to do with bacteria, within reason. The beneficial bacteria can tolerate anything from less than pH 5 to pH 10.
joshua
Fish Crazy
honestly i think that guy just wants to sell u more stuff.. no offense.. if i'm wrong especially hehe 
yeah that and he was just trying to pin a reason on Me why the Rams died.. I think they were just over stressed.. Dunno. Something about the 3 or 4 dead tank mates(at the LFS) tells me there may have been something else involved as well.. Hmm. I plan on adding a few rams to finish off the tank.. Possibly some double or triple reds? Apistos? Will i be overstocked? Read sig..
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