General Tonics

[rowdyates]

Hi All,

Placed an order for some stuff the other day and whilst browsing I noticed a number of manufacturers have products branded as general tonics for use monthly to keep your tank and it's inhabitants tip top. Well is this just pants or are there really benefits to be had by using these type of products?

Thanks,

Keith

 

[WILDER]

No there crap and a waste of money in my opion, just another products for you to spend money on, used interpet when i first started the hobby, didn't rate it at all, regular maintanance is the key, once to twice a week, quarantine new fish, good water quality and diet shouldn't need it.

 

[rowdyates]

Thanks Wilder, thought I would ask the question, saves me some dosh.

Keith

 

[Squid]

What about the PH level stuff... i inherited a tank and put some ph7 stuff in it (dont know why .. i didnt know what i was doing then) and later bought a test kit (hence why i dont know why i bought the other stuff) .. the ph test result was 7.0.

i have since been doing more testing and noticed that the nitrate level (of the tank i had inherited without knowing what i was doing) was off the scale.. i have recently joined this sight, read about what i should have been doing (and the people which dumped the tank on me), and so been doing large water changes to bring down the nitrate level over the past few days.. today my stats were

amonia - 0
nitrite - 0
nitrates - 20
ph - 7.6

so now i have become a test nerd (enjoying it far too much) i am pretty please with myself for the first three stats.. however, i am a little concerned about the ph of 7.6. i have a new empty tank that is going to be housing a couple of angelfish at some point.. and i believe they require 6.5 ish.

so.. back to the point.. it looks like the ph stabaliser stuff worked to get it to 7.0 so my questions are..

is the ph likely to drop now im not doing daily water changes.?

if the angelfish are bought locally is the ph likely to be the same, and so the angelfish will be used to it.?

did the ph powder work?

the ph stuff is not to be used with real plants (which i will have in the new tank).. so i can use it in the new tank. should i worry, and will plants affect the PH level anyway??


Ive got used to all the other stats.. but PH is the hardest one for me to get my head round how to manage it.

 

[WILDER]

Your tap water will tell you the ph of the tank, i wouldn't mess with the ph more problems than it's worth, just ask the lfs there ph when buying fish.

 

[Squid]

good call.. will go with that ...!