Raising Ph Level And Water Quality Questions

[chryslerboy]

Hi all

I have two dwarf gouramis in a 27 litre tank. I'm wanting to know what is the best way to raise PH levels. I've heard to use bi-carb soda but not sure if this is right/safe etc.

I also have a problem with the tank water going green and cloudy, which I'm sure is due to the bottom of the tank not being cleaned out properly? I am using a gravel vaccum as advised by my fish store guy when I was setting up the tank, but it doesn't seem to pick up the crap off the gravel/bottom of the tank properly. What's the best thing to use to clean the tank?

Any and all advice appreciated.

EDIT: scratch that, my sick gourami finally gave up today so i have one dwarf gourami...

 

[dwarfgourami]

A 27 ltr (7 gallon) tank is too small for dwarf gouramis; this will be part of your problem. In this tank you can keep a betta (Siamese fighting fish) or some really tiny fish like endlers, but dwarf gouramis are sensitive and require more stable (=cleaner) water conditions than you are likely to achieve in such a small tank. This rather than your ph is likely to be your problem. Fish seldom die from an unsuitable ph if well acclimated and otherwise kept under good conditions. So don't mess with the ph, but test the water for ammonia and nitrites, and do regular small water changes to keep the stats under control. And, ideally, see about upgrading your tank, or exchanging the fish.

You should also not keep two dwarf gouramis together unless the tank is truly enormous as they are territorial and will stress each other out.

A gravel vac should be fine for getting the crap off the bottom (once a week at least, but more often if you have ammonia problems); for the algae you need an algae scraper and a fair amount of elbow grease. Green algae are encouraged by too much light; see about cutting down on the no of hours your tank light is on. All algae are encouraged by overfeeding, so don't be heavyhanded with the flakes.

 

[chryslerboy]

You should also not keep two dwarf gouramis together unless the tank is truly enormous as they are territorial and will stress each other out.

A gravel vac should be fine for getting the crap off the bottom (once a week at least, but more often if you have ammonia problems); for the algae you need an algae scraper and a fair amount of elbow grease. Green algae are encouraged by too much light; see about cutting down on the no of hours your tank light is on. All algae are encouraged by overfeeding, so don't be heavyhanded with the flakes.

thanks for all this info, its really appreciated as i've never had fish before. the guy at the fish store had told me that they would be ok together but after a few weeks one of them started harassing the other one. one of them got an ulceration on his face and unfortunately i couldn't save him, he died today. i did think about getting him a mate until i read your reply so now i will just leave it. do they cope living on their own? if so, i will just leave him in the tank. or could i put a few smaller fish with him, like guppies or even neon tetras?

i have tried not to overfeed them as i am feeding them flakes, would a different food help in keeping the water quality better? i do try not to leave the light on for too many hours a day as i read that can cause algae/bacteria growth but it doesn't seem to make any difference with the green water, its still happening. i normally do about 40% water change every two weeks but i will start doing it at least once a week, as well as start cleaning the tank twice a week instead of once and see if that helps, and also do the other tests you suggested.

thanks again, i really appreciate it.