Detritus Worms? & Dead Shrimp

[markanthany]

 

 
 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
Alright, so finally got the API liquid test kit and tested our tanks, and our PH is through the roof at 8.8 on some of them.  Though the shrimp tank tested at 7.2 PH, we did lose another cherry the other day.  I'm thinking that it's either generally slightly too high for cherries or that something caused a fluctuation in PH (could have been when I did a large water change and got rid of all the tannins in the water?).  Apparently our water out of the tap tests at or above 8.8 PH so I'm currently looking into the best way to soften and stabilize it.  Any suggestions guys?  So far all I've found is acid buffer, substrate such as Aquasoil, peat moss, and a water softener pillow.  I'll be able to pick up probably anything you can suggest tomorrow.  I'll also be getting a gh and kh liquid test kit as well.
 
We lost two fish in two separate tanks over the past week, and I'm thinking this is why.  We have a large piece of driftwood in the shrimp tank and I think that's what's been buffering the PH for us a bit.  We've just placed a few more pieces of driftwood into our other tanks as well temporarily, and they'll probably be leaching tannins soon.
 
Now that I think of it, it could be we only ran into this problem recently due to the cold weather.  Could that cause the PH to increase?

 

[Far_King]

That's a really high pH and the sort of levels where you're looking at water suitable for African Cichlids.
 
It's possible there was a fluctuation that could cause your issues.  I've never seen a pH that high out of a tap before and I live in a hard water area myself.
 
Reducing pH is always harder than increasing it.  And if you're having fluctuations we have to figure out the best way to stabilise it.
As I've said earlier in the thread, if I were you I'd consider RO.  Producing this water for a 5 gallon shrimp tank wouldn't take long each week.  You could potentially part mix it with your tap water half and half and see what parameters that gives you or use RO that's been re-mineralised.
 
I've not heard of it but it's not beyond the bounds of possibility that the cold weather has caused some issue with the water.  

 

[markanthany]

Just posting to say that we haven't lost any shrimp since my last post and the tank looks very healthy with growing babies.  I am pretty certain now that the work they did on the pipes after they froze is likely the cause of the spike in ph.  Our ph is still around 8.8 unfortunately straight from the tap, both hot and cold, so what we've done to remedy this is fill a 5 gallon bucket and let it sit for about a day or too and mix with some RO water.  The ph has been dropping to 7.5 in the bucket and our tanks are all now stable at 7.5.  We also put in pieces of driftwood and they seemed to have helped lower it over time as well.  Just in case anyone else ever runs into this problem.