What should i do?Swordtails die..

[Neurotic_Fish]

Hi!Well,i'm new at fishkeeping.I have a 14 gallon tank,with filter and an air-pump on it (u know,the air is coming out of the same hole that water does) and a heater.Set up about 8 months ago.Everything was ok!5 swordtails,a guppy and a pleco.Suddenly (2,3 months ago) one of the swordtails died.Since then every 2 weeks i loose one of them,now i have only 2 (one of them seems to be stressed..).No signs of disease,no spots or such things.

Today i measured the following parameters:
NO3 : 25mg/l
NO2: 0
pH : 7,6

pH is really high,i know.But all people i asked adviced me to use some chemicals pH-reducers..As i learned from this forum,i don't trust such kind of chemical additives.

How can i reduce pH?I made the weekly water change 2 days ago (about 30% of the water),and i had made an equal change 5 days ago when a fish died.I thought that water changes reduce pH
Should i measure the tap water i use?
You think there's another reason why my swordtails died?Really sad situation..and swordtails are concidered as "hard" fish.


Thanx in advance!I think i'm in love with this forum

 

[Guest]

Moved this to FW Getting Started --- Timbo2

 

[Punkymom]

Ok, first of all, are you planning on upgrading to a 55 gal for that pleco and the swordtails? The pleco is going to get to be a foot long, and the swordtails alone in there will get to be 5 inches long EACH. I think you're over stocked. How often do you do water changes? I think the recommended is 20% every week. You can do more. I do 50%.

 

[Neurotic_Fish]

I'm not planning on the upgrading,unfortunately.Due to space but mainly economical reasons.Firts of all,let's SAVE the swordtails in there,and we'll see .
I change water once a week,a 30% change.

measured pH is normal for the swordtails?

 

[Sesos]

Wow! Do the swordtails really get that big? I've got a couple in my tank and it's only a 10 gal

 

[Punkymom]

Yeah, they do get 5 inches long...I think that does not include their finnage.

 

[TankGirl]

There is no real reason to lower the pH. Mine is the same as yours and my fish are fine. As long as the pH does not change rapidly they will adapt, and unless there was a pH swing it is not the pH that killed them. They may have been bred in water with the same pH as yours. Measuring the tap pH is a good idea, and the best way to do this is to put some tap water in a clean bucket or container and measure pH after 24 hours of sitting. Compare that to your tank and see if there is a difference. If you have any calciferous rock or calciferous substrate (crushed coral or sea sand), or shells, or the like in your tank that can raise your pH.