Ph Problems!

[doresy]

My Apisto tank (check sig. for details) has thrown up a problem.....

My male Cockatoo Cichlid spent a few nights at the bottom tucked away behind a rock with only a passing interest in food. His mate and the cardinals were as normal.
I did a water test and horrors! 1.0 for ammonia and .25 for nitrite The cause must have been some over-zealous filter cleaning I'm sure. Well, after an immediate 75% water change and again at the end of the day things have returned to zero-zero for the past few days and holding.

However, he still looks pretty glum so I checked the PH. OMG 8.2 how is that?! My tap water is 7.0 and as that's how the lfs acclimatised him in I thought it would be fine. But how come it keeps going so high? I have real plants and real bogwood with Java Fern. (Funny thing is that my Tanganyika tank runs at 7.6 and I wish that would go higher )

So, help required from the water chem's experts please. I have moved him into the community tank (within a breeding trap) as that is a little lower to see if that will spark him up.

 

[WILDER]

I would test your tap ph again.
What test kit are you using. Check the expiry date.
Bogwood lowers ph so can't understand why ph has shot up.
Added any rocks or crushed coral to the tank.

 

[doresy]

I would test your tap ph again.
What test kit are you using. Check the expiry date.
Bogwood lowers ph so can't understand why ph has shot up.
Added any rocks or crushed coral to the tank.

Hi, no rocks, no coral just sand, plants and bogwood.

API liquid test kit in date. Tests ok on other tanks and tap water

Got me stumped

 

[WILDER]

Might be better off copying and pasting this thread over to tropical discussion. More members go over there.

High ammonia and nitrite readings can alter ph.