Hi there!

[DucknSqueak]

Hi, I have a 20 gallon mixed Mickey mouse platty tank with a koi Betta and thee Cory catfish. I'm using NAT Geo sand substrate and false plants except a four inch round moss ball everybody seems to like playing with. I have 5 adult platties and 9 juveniles under six months. I've had some trouble getting everything up and running right, including cloudyness that lasted a mo the, but I started reading alot of the threads on here and got that cleared up. Now my only problem is with my pH. It keeps dropping drastically low and I've been having to boost it frequently to keep my fish healthy. I'm ordering a Master kit on the first, but have been using g a small pH kit and seachem prime to keep things in order as best I can. I ran out of pH booster today and don't know the ratio of baking soda to water to make more till my kit arrives. I've been doing weekly 25percent water changes and rinsing/ scrubbing my filter in the outgoing tank water to get things to clear up. I treat with prime and stability after every change, but my pH is still going nuts. How can I better control those values. I feed once a day at night and have LED white lights that are on for about 8 or 9 hours a day. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[DucknSqueak]

Here's a pic of my tank.

 

[flchamp89]

Tank still looks cloudy? Maybe just picture? 18 fish although half are small means you have a lot of food going in there to feed them. Cories do better with larger shoals. Surprised betta and platies are getting along.

Most fish can adapt to ph. Once you start messing with it its never ending battle will always want to revert back. The possible swings are worse than your percieved ph problem.

 

[DucknSqueak]

Yeah it's still a little milky in there, but it's alot better than it was and I'm still working on it lol. I don't like using chemicals to clear it because I find them to just be a quick fix lol. I want to change my filtration system. I dont like the aqueon 20 gallon over the side filter that I have. I just don't feel it does a good enough job. Any suggestions on a price gentle system that would be better?

 

[flchamp89]

First thing id test tap and test tank when you get kit. Id do a wc regardless or if in doubt. Aqua clear are my favorite hob and have a cult following. You could keep the aqueon and add an additional smaller one say Ac30. Less dead spots, more media capacity having two, media to seed, and if one dies your not up a creek.

 

[DucknSqueak]

OK, Thanx for the advice

 

[Delapool]

Welcome