Oh, really? Plants? Huh... Well, I'm not getting rid of any plants! :P

So far all the options you guys have mentioned have at least been stable things - plants, rocks, sand. And I knew the soft water would make it more volatile, but I thought that with the wood & leaves it might drop too low! Very surprised at the high reading. I'll keep checking all my various water param's but it sounds like the tank might just "have" a high pH... I guess if it's stable, the wee fishies will be all right. (Though I do hope it's not so high that the Flames won't breed again - the occasional baby was fun to get.)