tea bags????

[flitabout]

My ph is stupid high out of the tap 8.8 might be worse I have only been aerating for 16 hours I have no idea why it wasn't like that last month when I tested. The tank is sitting at 8.6. I posted this morning about my levels and said that my fish were fine and then my favorite platy died and the other one isn't looking great. The babies and the cardinals still look fine. She is gasping at the surface, her gills are red, and she is refusing to eat. Ammo and nitrite are 0, nitrates are 10-15ppm
I am currently broke and an hour away from the nearest LFS The only thing I could think of that I know of was tannins to start lowering the ph. Well I boiled the piss out of my mopani so it's never released any tannins in to the tank. Hmmm what else has tannins? I can't go get any peat and I just used the last of mine in my garden a week ago... Tea bags! I stuffed one in my HOB and one I made a cup of tea with tank water let it cool and then added it a 1/4 cup at a time to the tank then left the bag floating in the tank. I know the caffine might be a problem but it is the only shot I think my guys have. I have tested a few more times since adding it and I have got the ph down to 8.2-8.3.

 

[flitabout]

I just thought I would let everybody know that my platy is doing ok and eating this morning and not gasping at the top. Everybody is eating well and doing ok! PH is holding steady at 8.2!

 

[Samzter]

I'm following. I want to see what happens since tea bags is a interesting thing to try

 

[Fishlover3578]

What can safely raise low ph or should I leave it... I fear my snail is going to die I don't have much money wishI had been warned by lfs about how soft water low ph would affect

 

[aquandrew]

What can safely raise low ph or should I leave it... I fear my snail is going to die I don't have much money wishI had been warned by lfs about how soft water low ph would affect

crushed coral and some cuttlebone to help their shell grow

 

[flitabout]

Fish are all still good today! I don't think my platy is out of the woods yet but she is still doing well and eating. All of the fry are eating and active and the cardinals seem to be doing well also. Still holding steady at 8.2. I am hoping in the next week to get it down to 8. But I will slowly do that over the next week with small water changes using ro water.

 

[Fishfur]

The Skeptical Aquarist has an article where he advises using green tea bags for fish, as the compounds in it that are good for humans are also good for fish. Also adds tannins, though less if you brew them first and use them in the tank after. Good idea though, given you had few choices. Hope the fish is ok.

 

[Rivers2k]

following to see how this turns out. OP ingenuous decision I never would have thought of tea bags.