Mid posted
"linda mar" wrote in message
...

SNIP

I don't have the means to read CO2 yet.. I was contemplating doing DIY
thing until I lost all 4 otos in a span of 2 days and went into "coronor's
investigation" mode.. (and was told by one LFS that they are quite
sensitive
to pH changes.. and this is what is prompting all my interest)

Sure you do, assuming you've not used phosphate buffers. In the normal tank
which is bicarbonate buffered the relationship between pH, CO2 and kH is a
direct one. add CO2, pH will drop. add bicarbonate pH will rise. See
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm Just measure the pH
and kH and plug the number in. Or get out the slide rule and use the
included formula. I've got the page in my favorites for use when I want to
check CO2 levels.

assuming nothing else is wrong with the tank other than the pH drifts (I
have few bloated danios that I'm not sure what to make of them), I intend
to
start adding nitrates since the tank reads zero... my fish aren't
polluting
the tank fast enough for the plants! (what a concept)

I have to add nitrates to a 29 gallon platy tank that has about double the
inch/gallon fish load. But then the tank is overgrown with cabomba,
elodea/egeria and java moss. Ofcourse I trim about 6" a week, wonder what
I'd have to do if I had more than 20 watts of light. I tossed a half a
bucket of cabomba out from my 55 today, it is a super low light tank.

i haven't gotten green water, but I do have haze.. seems to come and go
depending on how much sunlight it gets during the sunset hours.. (like, if
I
forget to close the drapes etc., then the water seems more hazy).

I guess I'll try some experiment (adding baking soda, and also ph down to
see how they correlate to pH change..) before I start dumping stuff into
the
main tank! but seems like upping the KH and stabilizing pH a bit might be
desirable for the fish.. then i'll tend to the plants :-)

linda

Be careful that you don't use phosphate based buffers. I think pH down is
just acid, probably sulfuric. baking soda will give you a pretty quick rise
in pH.

Bob