Ph Buffering

[RedShark]

I have some powdered formula to buffer my pH. I need it for my 10 g planted tank b/c my blue dwarf is majorly stressed, and it has to be the pH because i did check the water and ammonia came up 0, nitrite came up 0 and the nitrates came to be around 1.0.

Cam i put the powdered form in without affecting the plants that i have in there in anyway, is it safe for them? Also i hsve two catrbonated filter pads in there, can i just leave them in the filter or do i have to take them out in order for the buffer to work.
P.s. my pH comes out to luike 7.6 (chicago water ) blue rams very sensitive to water quality

 

[RedShark]

Thought that i might add (if it even matters) that i have all oplants that require low light. anubis barteri, java moss, java fern, amazon sword plant i think, and a few others in there im not sure of name, but sure of lighting needs. All together about 8 different plants in there. I dont want to hurt thrm in anyway they look so marvelous.

 

[pseud]

I wouldn't add anything to the tank to affect the pH, really. Especially with Rams in. Rams will adjust to just about any pH within reason (7.6 will be fine). So long as it's not a drastic and sudden change. It has to be something else...

 

[Tolak]

Sounds like we have the same water, good ol' Lake Michigan. There should be no reason to buffer it, it's pretty hard on it's own. Hardness buffers ph, preventing ph swings. Adding anything to buffer it probably won't make a difference, it would if you had softer water.

Once in a while the lake goes through an inversion, & the water parameters change a little. This can be tough on more sensitive fish. It's a little early for this to be happening, it usualy occurs in the spring & fall, or after a really major storm.

Tolak

 

[RedShark]

But i have a blue ram psued and these guys are very sensitive to water quality. My other dwarf cichlid in the tank looks perfectly fine(krib)

Glad to see we are in the same boat Tolak, I'll keep an eye out for any probs you might have w/ water etc. etc. as this might also affect me as well.

 

[pseud]

I have a pair of blue rams also, they're beautiful fish. And you're right, they're very sensitive to water quality. That is to say, clean water with 0 ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. A pH of 7.6 isn't really going to affect him. They're also very sensitive to stress.

What fish are in the tank with him? What size tank is it?

If you add anything to change the pH it's going to swing, which is almost certainly going to be worse for him than a constant pH of 7.6

 

[RedShark]

Okay then, i get what yer sayin Pseud, I did a water change after i found that My nitrates were at 1.0, w/ a pH of 7.5. BOth ammonia and nitrites came out to 0. i havent been feeding them for the past two days so maybe this will do the trick.
It's a 30 g psued, with 6 tigerbarbs, 1 rainbowshark, 1 krib, and three of the pink danios. I know your going to say this might be alot of fish but ive seen them all adapt very well to my tank and no one bothers anyone. THe pink danios stay at the top of the tank, the tigerbarbs in the middle, krib and shark at the bottom. As for filtration i have two external filters(for 30g's and one for 50g tank) then i have 1 fully submersable for 20g tanks. I might get 2 more summersable ones and have them skim the bottom surface of the tank from both sides seeing as my gravel is only an inch thick.
Also i moved the blue ram to a much nicer home in my 10 g tank which is heavily planted, a pH of 7.0, no nitrites, nitrates or ammonia at all in that tank. He does however have to share the space w/ two cherry barbs, they arent that big so i think he'll be fine for now. I struck up a deal at my local fish store nad was going to trade in my blue ram to get some credit towards those pink danios, such pretty vibrant fish but i think i'll give this ram another shot b/c thas not fair and not his fault i cant get water quality right for him. Plus i love his colors so...
Wow, i talk alot.

Im not even going to attempt swinging the pH, thanks for the heads up Pseud

 

[RedShark]

I hope to be getting a camera soon so i can finally share with you guys exactly what it is im talking about.
Speaking of pics, i assume thats your picture Pseud where a logo would go, but whats that in your hand?