[fishforless]

I hooked up my air pump to my tank and my PH went from 7.08 to 7.6 in 2 days when i started running it again...... My mollies and a few swordtails seem to have lost discoloration on the back/end of their tails. Their tails are all there and not missing just the color seems to be receding like a hair line on a bald man........ Ideas? Thoughts?

 

[Lupin]

The pH did shot up because the moment you added an airpump, the oxygen level is increased. Oxygen tends to raise the pH.

As for the tails, what are your other water parameters? What is the size of the tank and what are the inhabitants?

 

[fishforless]

PH

29 Gallon tank

2 Mollies
5 swordtails

PH 7.61
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Nitrates 10.0

So all is good on that end...... I do use that tap water filter and wondering if water i put in isn't getting enough nutrients maybe??? I put in 2 traces that came with it.

 

[musho3210]

what were the traces, there should be a bufferer, ph changer, and trace elements i think. Maybe there wasnt a bufferer or something.

 

[Lupin]

It was trace elements, Ryan. Mineral salts are used to replenish the minerals removed.

 

[fishforless]

Actually one is PH adjuster you put in after you put in the one that has electrolytes in it. It only came with the 2 of them..... Should i put something else in this deionized water?

 

[musho3210]

It was trace elements, Ryan. Mineral salts are used to replenish the minerals removed.

i know but what about buffers? I dont know much about DI water etc but i do know you need to raise the kh and gh away from 0.

 

[fishforless]

It didn't come with anything else to buffer....... I kinda wondered myself..... So last time i changed out some with tap water treated to increase my hardness in the tank. All it has is Electro-Right and PH adjuster...... do they make such animals to give that water moderate buffering??? I don't recall seeing it but i may be blind too