Best carbonate pH regulators

[dmaccy]

Hi. I have for the last few months being using a pH regulator (pH 7), the one manufactured by seachem. However since using it I have had a persistent problem with cyanobacteria.
As the regulator uses phosphate buffers I wondered if anyone knew of any carbonate based pH regulators on the UK market I could try to investigate if it the P in the regulator or not causing the cyanobaceria.

 

[Byron]

None, for the sake of fish. Don't use chemicals to deal with nature, use nature (if even necessary).

What is the pH, GH and KH of the source water? This is where you begin, and if adjustment is needed, all three parameters are involved. I don't know if cyanobacteria can be traced back to the use of this chemical concoction, but the fish will be the better without it regardless.

 

[dmaccy]

Hi byron. Not sure what you mean by chemicals?
These products are usually crushed rock and IMO are no different to a marine aquarist putting limestone in the tank or filter?
So you are aware I had historic issues with fish mortality which was fixed by a raise in pH from these products. I currently use the Seachem 7.0 product. What I'm trying to do is see if there is a none phosphate option to do this.

 

[Byron]

Hi byron. Not sure what you mean by chemicals?
These products are usually crushed rock and IMO are no different to a marine aquarist putting limestone in the tank or filter?
So you are aware I had historic issues with fish mortality which was fixed by a raise in pH from these products. I currently use the Seachem 7.0 product. What I'm trying to do is see if there is a none phosphate option to do this.

Seachem are somewhat secretive as to just what is in this. They do mention phosphates, something no one should never add to an aquarium. And they make claims about it neutralizing chlorine, detoxifying ammonia, messing with the pH, precipating calcium and magnesium. I don't consider this at all necessary, nor safe. It should never be used in a planted aquarium obviously, they even say this.

"Fish acclimated to neutral pH" is more scary stuff. Why? No fish in nature lives in pH 7 water, it does not exist in the habitats. Here again it is more messing about for no reason.

[Edit to answer what I missed earlier, sorry.]

I don't recall the issue on raising pH to cure whatever, so can't comment. You didn't answer about the fish species, nor the GH, KH and pH of your source water. I might have more with this info.

I recall being persuaded about 25 years ago by I assume well-meaning members on another forum that I should use something to raise the pH as it was for some reason better. So I used about three tablespoons of dolomite in a nylon pouch in the canister filter. It kept the pH around 6.5 for several years [the natural pH of my tap water in those days was 5 or lower]. I don't think the fish were any better, they were all soft water species. The pH was stable, and dolomite is pure calcium and magnesium carbonate. So there was nothing here to do all those unnecessary things the Seachem neutralizer claims, risking the fish along the way. Eventually I stopped, this was only in the one tank anyway. There are a number of myths in this hobby about all sorts of things.

 

[Colin_T]

what fish do you keep?
what is the pH, GH & KH of the aquarium water and tap water?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I am usually good at tracking down ingredients but Seachem dpesn't make it easy and I did not spend more then 10 minutes looking for the answer ast exactly what is in SeaChem Neutral regulator. This is all SeaChem will tell us:

Neutral Regulator® adjusts pH to neutral (pH 7.0) from either a low or high pH and maintains it there. It softens water by precipitating calcium and magnesium while removing any chlorine, chloramine, and detoxifying ammonia......

Contains phosphate buffers and conditioning agents.

I do not use dechlor as I have well water that doesn't need it. So I would benver use this product for the reasons explained by Byron.

If you want to raise pH try adding crushed coral in a bag to your filter. If you run sponge filters you can add it to your substrate. If your fish can tolerate some sodium in the water you can raise the KH using baking soda:
"To raise the KH without raising the GH, add sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), commonly known as baking soda. 1/2 teaspoon per 100 Liters raises the KH by about 1 dH. Sodium bicarbonate drives the pH towards an equilibrium value of 8.2."