Ph Buffer Question

[mbriggs84]

I'm just over one week into my fish-less cycle and I'm trying to get myself prepared well in advance. My tap water has a low pH (reads a

6.0 on test, could be lower). Through the help from these forums I learned to correct this with a little baking soda, worked like a

charm and pH is steady at 8.2. Once the cycle has ended though I'm curious as too what the best way to slightly raise the pH and keep it

stable is. Is the baking soda safe for fish? Also I've heard that chemicals (pH up) aren't the best way to go, with a lot of maintenance

and something about making the pH in the water unstable??? Whats the deal with crushed coral? If I were to use this, is there a certain

amount that should be used (have a 29g tank)? Does it need to be replaced frequently? I wasn't able to find any at the fish stores in my

area, but the one place had a bag of coral reef stones (about 4-5 large stones) will this give the same benefit?

Sorry for loading this post with so many questions! But thanks in advance for all the help!

 

[waterdrop]

You need the article that drobbyb and I wrote. Just do a search on member drobbyb (he's just answered in a thread next to yours as I'm writing and has a link in his sig, so that would be a shortcut.) We explain all the thinking. Robby is a master with that stuff if you need him.

You're right by the way. The bicarb is just for the bacteria and that all ends with the fishless cycle and its better to do it a different way with fish. First of all the very best thing is to not have to do it at all with fish and you absolutely can't judge (and shouldn't!) what your tank will be like with respect to hardness and pH characteristics by things it does while new or while cycling. You have to let the tank get going and have it get some organics and such in there. It may settle down into an ok range.

But you are also correct that you don't want to put chemicals in there usually, like ones that do things to pH. Instead the mildest method of choice to start is the very small pile of crushed coral (its really seashells and coral broken up) in the palm of your hand, put into a mesh bag (so you can get it out easily later) and added into one of the trays of your filter. It then must be kept clean because bacteria love it and will coat it such that it won't be able to continue it's slow dissolving, which is how it adds mineral content to your water. It can take up to two weeks to show a difference but sometimes its faster. The article covers all this.

~~waterdrop~~