RichToyBox wrote:

Don't try to force the pH down. Don't let a little new knowledge
cause you to go chasing your tail. Check the pH early in the morning
and late in the day. If it is flucturating, test for KH. You say
that not knowing has gotten you through 16 years, so it must be good
water.
There is another test out there that is more beneficial, called KH
hardness. The KH test measures the bicarbonates in the water. If the
bicarbonates drop low, then the pH becomes unstable and will crash to
very low numbers. The bacteria use bicarbonates in there changing
ammonia to nitrite, and nitrite to nitrate. The bacteria actualy
produce acids that must be neutrallized for their health and the
health of the fish. The bicarbonate ion is easily changed by the
acid to CO2 and water. It can also neutralize the hydroxyl (very
alkaline) ion, by being converted to water and carbonate ion. The
carbonate ion will combine with the calcium in the system and make a
relatively insoluble balance limestone like material. The KH needs
to stay above 80, and it doesn't hurt a thing to have it stay above
300. The balance between bicarbonates and carbonates occurs at a pH
of 8.3 to 8.4. To raise the KH add baking soda.

Thanks The early morning (or is 7 am early morning) reads the same
as the 5 PM. So it should be good.

Actually I thought it was going to be more on the acid side because the
soil here is extremely acid and we have large fir trees residing close
enough to our system that they are always "depositing" needles and cones
in the system. That was one of the reasons I wanted to test

But looks like the new filter system is doing it's job, Yippee.

Barbara