My first thought is are you using an old test kit? If not you may inadvertintly
picked up some highly alkaline rock or substrate.I't good to hear of someone
who sets a tank up like it was a part of the natural environent instead of some
kind of sterile plate glass parlor. Peat stuffed into a an old panty hose leg
and sunk in teh back of the tank may help.Peat is the safeest adn most natural
way to go.

Moon
remove nospam from e-mail to send to me, I grow trees in aquariums like bonsai.
I breed dwarf crayfish, great for planted community tanks. If you can get me a
shovelnose sturgeon fingerling (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) no wild caught
please, contact me