PH Neutralizer

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PH Neutralizer

Postby lizzard on Sun Feb 11, 2007 8:53 pm

I added PH neutralizer to my fish tank and it made the water milky is this normal.
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Re: PH Neutralizer

Postby DanRad on Mon Feb 12, 2007 8:22 am

What kind of neutralizer did you add?  What was your pH before adding?  What is it now?  What is your water change schedule?
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Re: PH Neutralizer

Postby Barb Okla on Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:58 pm

what is the KH/GH hardness in your tank?? using a pH ajuster does not work if your hardness is to high.. A pH of 7.0 usuall has a hardness KH/GH of 0  to 8ppm. Your GH needs to be HIGHER than the KH to stablilize the pH. You have to ajust the TEMPERORY harness, kH and not affect the GH which is general hardness before you can ajust the pH.. IT is a complicated deal to explain but READ this on hardness and pH and see how they interact with each other... You are just crashing your pH and stressing your fish using the pH ajuster..

http://www.drhelm.com/aquarium/chemistry.html

Also here as it explains in better detail about pH and hardness and how to ajust it naturally.....

http://www.algone.com/water_parameters.php
Last edited by Barb Okla on Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: PH Neutralizer

Postby lizzard on Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:08 pm

I haven't added fish yet. I don't know how high it was exactly i used a test strip that only tells if its high, low, or normal. I added Bullseye 7.0. It is still high. I just got it all set up less than 2 weeks ago. Thanks Barb Okla i still don't fully understand everthing though.
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Re: PH Neutralizer

Postby Barb Okla on Mon Feb 12, 2007 8:26 pm

Ok I understand WHY you dont' understand about hardness and pH BUT what kind of cichlids are you wanting to have?? DON"T ADD IN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW UNTIL THE TANK CYCLES!!
That is in 30 days with out fish or two weeks with a bio helper.. Either cycle or other bio products..

YOU need to get a GH/KH hardness test kit (they come together) and test your water IN the tank, and OUT of the fauset. GET a LIQUID TEST KIT for HIGH pH, Ammonia, Nitrite..

something you need to concider is ONCE you do get the tank to where YOU want it, how are you going to do water changes?? This takes practice on getting it right with the tank water.. THAT is hard to do time consumming and fustrating and may KILL your fish if you dont' get it right..
IF your water is high pH then I bet it is realy HARD water.. IF you want to have perfect water, then you are going to need a RO unit, this is A reverse osmosis unit that removes up to 99% of all impurites making your water 0 GH and KH and a 6.4 to 7.0 pH.. NO other way to do this with out adding in chemicals to the tank.. I have one and  it is great for my American cichlids, not for my Africans..
IT is always best to BUY fish that is to your water paramiters.. as in pH and hardness.. this way you dont' stress them out adding in chemicals to keep the pH stable.. YOU can't do so using a pH stabilizer, it does not hold for long periods of time... YOU have to ajust your HARDNESS FIRST, then the pH comes down automaticly... This can be done with an RO unit.. 

READ this on what a RO unit wil do for you... http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/artic ... 21&aid=842
Last edited by Barb Okla on Mon Feb 12, 2007 8:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: PH Neutralizer

Postby lizzard on Mon Feb 12, 2007 9:44 pm

So adjust my hardness then buy a ro unit and it will keep my ph level normal.
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Re: PH Neutralizer

Postby Barb Okla on Wed Feb 14, 2007 3:18 pm

NO,, you need to see where you are at in your hardness.. I would not buy a RO until you see if you need it or not.. YOU dont' say what kind of cichlids you are going to get.. Americans can handle most pH and hardness scales but you dont' want them to high.. Americans can deal with 6.4 to 7.6 and a hardness GH of 0 to 8dGH.. Africans like the water hard, 8 to 20dGH+ and a pH of 7.8 to 8.6 and up.. So you need to know where you are at..

My Americans survived in 8.0 and 8 to 15dGH hardness for years and I had NO problems.. Some mind and some dont.. IF you are not going to breed and SELL your fish for money, most fish adapt BETTER if you DONT' ajust the water... EXCEPT for Discus.. They need the low pH and soft water condtions to live... Other than those, most cichlids adapt to the water condtions as long as they are NOT TO out of bounds...

THE RO unit does not need you to ajust anything..that is the point in having one,,,
IT DOES IT FOR YOU... 
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