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Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

Ph question!

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20 Oct 2010 14:27 #1 by neki (neki)
Ph question! was created by neki (neki)
Hi!

I switching from soft water to hard water.

I put coral sand as substrate two days ago to bring the pH up but it hasn't changed very much 7.4

Does it take very long to bring it up to 8 or more?

I've read about baking soda but if it will bring the pH up to 8 after water changes will it be steady to the pH of 8 or i'll have to add every time baking soda?

thanks

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20 Oct 2010 14:30 #2 by neki (neki)
Replied by neki (neki) on topic Re:Ph question!
I forgot to say that I've a lime stone and few shells in the tank.

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20 Oct 2010 15:48 #3 by stretnik (stretnik)
Replied by stretnik (stretnik) on topic Re:Ph question!
Best left to natural ph with Coral sand etc, buffers only last a while then you get crashes unless you sit checking all day, are you using the original Water or are you using totally new Water?

Kev.

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20 Oct 2010 16:02 #4 by neki (neki)
Replied by neki (neki) on topic Re:Ph question!
I did aroun 70% water change before I added the coral sand(I washed the sand before puting it in the tank)

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20 Oct 2010 17:01 #5 by stretnik (stretnik)
Replied by stretnik (stretnik) on topic Re:Ph question!
Have you stil got the original substrate in there too?

If it was up to me, I'd just keep your current Filter ticking over and re do the tank from scratch.

Kev.

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20 Oct 2010 17:12 #6 by neki (neki)
Replied by neki (neki) on topic Re:Ph question!
I removed the gravel substrate and replaced it with the coral sand but everything else is the same.

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20 Oct 2010 17:44 #7 by stretnik (stretnik)
Replied by stretnik (stretnik) on topic Re:Ph question!
Then just leave things as they are, it would have been easier to advise if you were starting over but coral sand and Calciferous rock release their calcium into the water slowly so it may take a bit of time, What is the ph of your Tap Water?

Kev.

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20 Oct 2010 22:27 #8 by neki (neki)
Replied by neki (neki) on topic Re:Ph question!
the pH of tap water is 7

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20 Oct 2010 22:33 #9 by stretnik (stretnik)
Replied by stretnik (stretnik) on topic Re:Ph question!
Ian would be better at this than I but I'd put my Neck out and say that .4 of a rise in such a short time is actually a lot and many so called HARD WATER types of Cichlid will do admirably in such conditions and it would appear that your substrate and Rock are doing their job, tds and KH and total hardness are another thing but as your Tank is slowly adjusting I'd say things are going in the right direction, just keep checking your ph etc weekly, I really do believe that messing with ph using ph up or ph down are tempory solutions and you are tackling it the correct way already.

Kev.

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21 Oct 2010 18:23 #10 by neki (neki)
Replied by neki (neki) on topic Re:Ph question!
thanks for the info Kev.

I'll just wait for the pH to go up by itself.

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21 Oct 2010 18:32 #11 by stretnik (stretnik)
Replied by stretnik (stretnik) on topic Re:Ph question!
I think you are doing the right thing but keep your eye on all the readings, ph, nitrates etc.There comes a time when it will stabilize but ph fluctuates when decor is changed etc.



Kev.

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21 Oct 2010 22:03 #12 by igmillichip (ian millichip)
Pushing pH up using whatever 'salt' mix should be seen as a last resort.
We could recommend suitable 'mixes' but I prefer the coral gravel/coral sand substrate method as at least the best method to make sure you have stable pH.

Coral doesn't always instantly give pH rises and buffering....it needs time (and that time depends on a number of factors)

Malawis on a good diet in good clean stable water will do well at pH 7.4.
Sometimes I feel that when we see sick Malawis in more acid conditions it may well be that the water is a bit stale, is full of organic acids and has become depleted of its buffering capacity...and is crying out for a water change.

Basically, and having written this, go with Kev's approval of your coral gravel method. I'll second that. :)

Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.

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