Tank Severely Acidified -- Help Fast!

[This Younger Spouse]

SBS, thanks for the added perspective. What's a good range for KH? This morning, KH is up to 30-35 ppm, and pH is about 5.3 to 5.4. But that "rise" is probably within the margin of error for the kit. I hope that's a slow enough climb. In about an hour, I'm gone for the rest of the day. The fish do look full of energy and not stressed.

 

[This Younger Spouse]

Just tested the KH and pH after being gone all day. Same as this morning. Guess I'll start in with the small WCs tomorrow.

 

[StandbySetting]

30Mg/L Carbonate Hardness is about 1.7 degrees, ideally it could do with being higher, say nearer 4-5, to do this you can add Sodium Bicarbonate but an easier solution is just to add a handful of coral sand to the filter in a filter sock.

 

[This Younger Spouse]

I added two tablespoons of crushed coral, which was all I had, to the filter element, as mentioned previously in this thread. That brought KH and pH up slightly to the levels read yesterday morning. Last night and this morning the KH and pH reading remained unchanged from the previous small rise. In contrast, this morning the pH from my 20-gallon reads 6.5, with a KH of 80, so I don't believe it's the Nutrafin test that's at fault.

I do have several hunks of coral the size of my fist, and could put one of those in the tank.

 

[This Younger Spouse]

A 20 percent water change brought pH up to about 5.8. Ammonia is 0, Nitrite is 0, Nitrate is about 20-25ppm.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I would just stay patient and keep up with these smaller water changes for a while longer.

 

[This Younger Spouse]

Subsequent water changes have brought it up to about 6.1. Couple more ought to do it.