On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 08:04:03 GMT, "Shakey"
wrote:

I guess ill start with the basics, its a 37 gal all-glass tank with just
under 2 watts per gal, no CO2 injection yet.
pH 8.4

Pretty high pH for most fish, including tetras and corys.

total hardness 250 ppm
total alkilinity buffer over 300 ppm (not sure cause it was drastically
darker then the highest value of 300 ppm).

Wow! that's a dkH of about 17 (or more.)

So anyways would CO2 get my pH down to a more reasonable level? Would the
use of pH lowering additives be a good idea? Or don't worry about it and
pray the fish will be fine, and be happy that my current 2 plant types are
growing like mad? Any sites or personal info welcome on overcoming this
problem, but unfortunately expensive fixes like RO systems are out of the
question for me, as I am quite limited on spare cash.

You would have to add so much CO2 to lower the pH to 'normal' levels,
that the fish would probably die. Lowering the pH to just 7.2 would
result in CO2 levels of over 32ppm - a tad high.

Mixing your tap water with RO water would be best. A Cheap RO unit
can be had for $60. Some grocery stores located in hard water areas
have RO water dispensers out front - around 10 to 25 cents a gallon.
Get a 6 gallon camping water carrier and fill 'er up! Mix your water
down to a dkH of 7 or so, and THEN inject CO2 to obtain a pH of 6.9 to
end up with a CO2 level of 26ppm - a tolerable level for most, if not
all, fish

pH Down and other such additives are a BAD idea, IMHO.
They just don't work properly, and many contain phosphates that play
havoc with water chemistry and algae blooms.

With more CO2 you might need a little more lighting for best results.

With that kind of water, perhaps you should consider a reef tank. ;-)

This is just MY advice...
Greg