RPI little fishy

[Crystal]

One of my Black Phantom tetras passed away sometime during the night. She was one of the newer fish we had gotten, so she was in the tank only about a month. I tested the water levels, all were great:
Amm: 0
PH 8.0
Nitrite:0
Nitrate:10
There is no illness in the tank, and the only fish I have in there are black phantom tetras, and three amano shrimp.
My tank has been going for around 4-5 months now, and I had fishless cycled beforehand, and my levels were great, and I was doing my water changes and have two filters in there (I have not taken out the first one yet after adding the power filter).
Any ideas what it could be? Thank you.

 

[WILDER]

Sorry just one of those things, you don't always no what caused there death, probably not a very healthy tetra in the first place, anyway sorry for your loss.

 

[thapsus]

I think the pH is the problem. Fishes that comes from soft and acidic water are not hardy in alkaline water. I don't wonder why...

Luckily we have soft and neutral water in here. Only few species that we need to adjust water for. For livebearers we use gypsum and natriumbikarbonate to make water more alkaline and harder (or commersial products).

You can lower you pH by adding some carbon dioxide to the tank or adding driftwood or peat or acid or commersial products. Why wouldn't you? Too much work? I don't think so because you have done everything dutifully this far (cycling, water changes).

 

[Crystal]

She's been in the tank for over 2 months now, and they have not had a problem with the ph differences, since the ph at the lfs where I got her is at 7.8 (our city has hard water) and she was in there for a while as well.

thapsus: i have bogwood in my tank already. As for the "Why wouldn't you? Too much work?" comment, i do take offense. I do not like playign with chemicals in my tank either, so I refuse to use any commercial products that will lower my ph, in case somethign happens, my fish do not need the stress form a sudden ph spike or drop.

 

[gale]

She's been in the tank for over 2 months now, and they have not had a problem with the ph differences, since the ph at the lfs where I got her is at 7.8 (our city has hard water) and she was in there for a while as well.

thapsus: i have bogwood in my tank already. As for the "Why wouldn't you? Too much work?" comment, i do take offense. I do not like playign with chemicals in my tank either, so I refuse to use any commercial products that will lower my ph, in case somethign happens, my fish do not need the stress form a sudden ph spike or drop.

Using chemicals to alter ph isn't advised anyway. It usually won't work long term and your ph will just bounce back. My ph is very high-over 8. And I have been told here in this forum to just let it be and that the fish will acclimate to it.