Larry Little
Aquarium Advice Regular
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2017
- Messages
- 98
Have a tank that has been running for about 9 weeks. Everything has been percolating well until the last 10 days during which I've been experiencing a slow fish die-off. All eating, then one by one cease eating and die. I'm an old-school aquarist just getting back into the hobby after 30 years.
Anyway, I got both a pH test kit and a nitrate kit and have shocking numbers. The pH reading is 7.0 - 8.0 and the nitrate number is around 80 ppm.
I should mention I have live plants of several varieties; Kleiner Bar swords, Rubin swords, pygmy chain swords, water sprite, Staurogyne repens, Italian vallisneria and one other whose name I can't remember. The vall is melting, but all the other plants are at least holding their own.
The pH of my tap water is high at around 7.8 as well. In the "old days, we used to add white vinegar (acetic acid) to lower pH. Is this still acceptable? Of course, back then, we used it to neutralize chlorine as well. Also, if I lower the pH, will the nitrate reading be affected? My thinking is that the plants should do better with the lower pH and thereby take up the nitrates more efficiently.
I probably should mention ( if you haven't read my introduction) I have a great deal of knowledge and experience, just all of it either antiquated or obsolete.
Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Anyway, I got both a pH test kit and a nitrate kit and have shocking numbers. The pH reading is 7.0 - 8.0 and the nitrate number is around 80 ppm.
I should mention I have live plants of several varieties; Kleiner Bar swords, Rubin swords, pygmy chain swords, water sprite, Staurogyne repens, Italian vallisneria and one other whose name I can't remember. The vall is melting, but all the other plants are at least holding their own.
The pH of my tap water is high at around 7.8 as well. In the "old days, we used to add white vinegar (acetic acid) to lower pH. Is this still acceptable? Of course, back then, we used it to neutralize chlorine as well. Also, if I lower the pH, will the nitrate reading be affected? My thinking is that the plants should do better with the lower pH and thereby take up the nitrates more efficiently.
I probably should mention ( if you haven't read my introduction) I have a great deal of knowledge and experience, just all of it either antiquated or obsolete.
Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.