Ph Raising

[dave_oddballs]

in my 240 litre tank i used to have real problems with ph being too low, payed £9 for a bottle of propper ph 7.0 about 4 times with no luck, guy at lfs suggested trying bicarbonate of soda and i did and within a couple of days i had my ph were i wanted it, it kept going down slightly over a perion of weeks so i went back, he told me coral gravel (crushed coral) would help stable the ph, which it has! perfectly. my ph now is at dead on 7.0 and doesn't move from 7.0! it might not be the best solution, short term for the fish, unnatural and so on but surely it is the longterm health and comfrt of the fish is what would matter most?
David

 

[Anna Robinson]

One other point is that sodium bicarbonate will increase the sodium levels in the water, whereas crushed coral (calcium carbonate) will increase the calcium. It is unnatural for the fish to have more sodium present in the water than calcium.