PH tablets or fluids
 

You know those things they sell that would neutralize PH level to exactly 7 for a couple of weeks or so... do you guys trust those? Do they really work?

Re: PH tablets or fluids
 

Re: PH tablets or fluids
 

What he said. The chemical stuff is a point solution that works for minutes rather than days. I've killed fish by using as directed.

I never adjust my pH and I rarely suggest that others do unless you are doing breeding or have sensitive fish. I've worked at 5 different retail fish stores and none of them adjust the pH in the store. In fact most of them ran about 8-8.4 pH which was the pH of the water in that area. The problem with customers adjusting their pH is that they would get their water to 7.0 and then come buy fish from an 8.4 store. Well, even though their tank was "ideal", the fish could easily get stressed out with that sudden change when the customer brought it home. My advice is to ask your local fish store what their pH is kept at and my guess is that yours will be the same. If it is, then just keep it that way. If it is different than you may want to consider drip acclimating new fish.

Honestly I think it's just easier to keep fish that can tolerate what your pH is naturally. Makes things easier and less to worry about (and screw up!). : )

i get worried when i test the water and it is at the top level for PH and GH. It doesnt seem to be bothering the fish though.

I never test for gh and our ph is high. The one thing that I do which may or may not be the reason I have been successful is that I always, always, always(!) drip acclimate any new fish. But that is the only "special" thing I do other than keeping fish that are ok with the not-so-perfect water. I don't have anything extra-fragile certainly.

although each fish has its own "ideal ph level" most of them will withstand a wide range of pH. The thing fish dont withstand well is lage fluctuations in pH. In fact, when most people use chemicals to adjust pH, they get large fluctuations in their tank and can kill the fish that way. Also, if you adjust your pH to perfect 7.0 but then buy fish from an 8.4 store...you can harm the fish by throwing them in your tank even if it is considered ideal. Often times, th safest way is actually to just leave the pH as it is. I often suggest asking what pH the fish store keeps their tanks at so you know if there is a difference between your tank and theirs. At my store, we test the water in our own tanks twice a day and record the results so its just a matter of looking on the chart to give you that information. If you live in the same region as your LFS, chances are that your pH is the same as theirs though.

I tried using SeaChem's neutral Ph powder - it lasted 30 minutes!! I thought it odd that it could "neutralize ph from either a high or low level"; I mean, after all, the stuff doesn't have a brain to figure out whether my ph is high or low to begin with!

I lost a lot of fish recently and I think it had to do with two things: not drip acclimating the fish in the beginning, and possibly some bullying from another fish in the tank.

[quote="Julie's Julies"]I tried using SeaChem's neutral Ph powder - it lasted 30 minutes!! I thought it odd that it could "neutralize ph from either a high or low level"; I mean, after all, the stuff doesn't have a brain to figure out whether my ph is high or low to begin with! quote]

Thats why I don't ever suggest adjusting ph. If you put in a chemical and it adjusts it for awhile and then it goes back again then you have pH fluctuations which could in itself kill off fish.