Changed the substrate and I think I messed up!

[Scarlett Echo]

Tonight I changed the gravel substrate in my aquarium to a more sand-like gravel because my cories didn't seem to be too happy.

Um. Then I read on the label that the substrate may buffer ph. I'm like, "whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatt?!" :eek:

So I went the website of the product (GEOsystems Pacific Gravel) and it doesn't say "may buffer" but "will buffer".

I don't like the sound of that. The ph is 7.6 and always has been.

What the heck is going to happen now??

[tackful]

A while back I changed from gravel to Aqua-Soil all at once, and my ph went from 7.2 to 6.0 in about 36 hrs. All the fish survived, however. AC members said that if they made it through the first day or two, then they'd be alright, and that's what happened. If I had it to do over again, I would have taken the LFS advice to make the change gradually a bit more seriously. I think the important thing now is that the ph, having reset itself once, has remained stable.

[Scarlett Echo]

Does buffering mean it's going to lower the ph then?

[ThePBM]

buffering doesn't mean raise or lower. buffer means it will prevent swings in pH from occuring rapidly by literally chemically 'buffering' the effects of anything that would otherwise change the pH. it makes your water resistant to pH changes. buffering is not a bad thing unless for example you constantly use additives in your tank to maintain a certain pH.

[Scarlett Echo]

Ok.

Fingers crossed.

I need to sleep. Been in fish-mode all day and night. Crazy what those little creatures make us do.