clamped fins, with a twist

I have swordtails and neons in my tank. I just recently added some java loaches (or black Kuhli loaches, best ID I can make) and some ghost shrimp. My baby (~3 mo)swords are acting funny now.

Earlier last week i mentioned that there was an odd PH drop and Nitrate spike within a 24-48 hr period. With a water change the readings have been stable and predictable but my KH is still 0 .. currently sterilizing some limestone to fiddle with this. Im Using alternating vinager( to etch) and clorox (to sterilize). Going to soak in clorine remover and bake as hot as i can get them to finish. Probably overkill but anyway to my problem at hand.

The ghost shrimp were almost certaintly eaten by the loaches. One loach has a few whiteish splotches on it. I was waiting and watching assuming they were damage caused by the impatient woman at LFS. They have not got worse and i think they might be healing.

The swords on the other hand are acting wierd. They are floating up in a group toward one corner of the tank with clamped fins. Now this would definately worry me, except that when i come around they immediatly wake up and come to the glass and act like the frisky puppies like they always do. they are eating just as vigerously as before. There are 2 of the babies showing male characteristics and they are getting ...frisky. Is it this stressing the fish, is it the wild nocternal loaches, or do you think there is something deeper that should be treated more aggressivly?

yes .. quite acidic.

alright. I feel stupid. I was misreading the ph test.

For some odd reason i figured the numbers ran in the opposite direction (IE high on the card was good as with all the other tests) so I was assuming the water was reading between the regular and high ph test.

The test was blown in the acid direction . after some dilution testing I got a PH reading of about 5.5 (i think, the exponential scale not fitting into my understanding exactly). THAT is what happened to my ghost shrimp I bet. They dissolved. No wonder my fish are pissed.

Currently doing daily 25% water changes. Slowly loading with limestone and will start doing the sodium bicarbonate infusions as you suggest. As for the limestone, what amount should I use in a 20G to hold about 4dkh with a full bio-load? I realize it should be slow but I was trying to estimate the quantity If its enough I may build a cave in one corner of tank.

Thanks for your suggestion. It helped me find my mistake before i woke up to etched skeletons floating in tank. Also it made me think of a nice sig that I might adopt permanently now.

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Ignorance is bliss until someone gets an eye put out.

Alright, Im up to 6.8-7 PH now. I have about .75 - 1dkh and 3 dgh (gh unchanged). I will keep adding the bicarb until i hit 7.2 or 4dkh.

Limestone does not appear to be affecting anything though. I have aproximately 8, 1/4 to 1 inch chunks in the bottom now (mostly holding down java moss at the moment). I tried putting some in the filter but my aquaclear doesn't have room anywhere for the rock to sit without danger of damaging the impeller.

On the note of the limestone. It beautiful (at least right now). My etching seems to have given its color an etheral quality. Its a very stark white color that seems to radiate into the surrounding area. Its whiter than marble.(limestone is young prepubescent(proper term pre-metamorphic) marble BTW. just some trivia)

If i ever do a hardwater aquarium its going to be all limestone.

The odd thing about this whole experience is. Our reservoir is fed by a limestone aquifer. So the water should be pretty hard (at least high in KH). yet it reads as distilled water with chlorine in it. I might be wrong but i dont think the water processing plant is that sophisticated. Its sort of prided by locals that our tap is practically untouched mountain spring water. Infact, I think a regional brand of water is bottled from our reservoir. I might go get a bottle of that and test it. (yes its a big seller here too. Put anything in a bottle people will buy it) Odd really.