Just attended a beginner's aquarium course...

JSchmidt said:
We're not trying to sell anything, though...

Jim
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Fair enough.

I do appreciate you all taking time to advise in this thread. It is helping me think this through. :)

mishi8
 
And I really don't mean to impugn the LFS guy's character (despite my flip "Generalissimo" comment)... he sounds like he tries to be helpful. There are some things that get my antennae twitching, though, and suggestions to soften water and/or lower pH through the use of additives is one of them. Been there, done that, and I have the memories of a 3 month battle with a green water algae outbreak (trying to get a 'perfect' pH with Proper pH) to show for it.

The nice thing about this forum and others like it, apart from our lack of financial investment in your decision, is that we can take lots of time (and web space) to explain exactly why we believe certain things to be true or not. And you are absolutely right, after that, it's your decision. I've learned so much here: practical fishkeeping tips, biochemistry, biology... The difference between the quality of info you can get here vs. that at the typical LFS is pretty striking. If you stick around, I bet you see that.

HTH,
Jim
 
Imagaine for instace you had an odor problem in your room, and you went to a Homegoods or something to devoted to indoor living, and they said "oh just treat it with Lysol everyday or 2", your lungs would be a chemical melting pot after weeks of breathing that, i see the same with adding chemicals to water.
 
Someone here posted that a way to check your gravel, was to remove a small portion and pour vinegar on it. If it "fizzes" it will affect your tank ph. Someone remember/ know about this - help us out here. You are super lucky to live near a fish store that offers classes for its customers, i'm jealous. That said, as long as you're not interested in breeding "soft" water fish your ph shouldn't be that big a problem. Once you've settled with what your "natural " ph is, acclimate any new fish very slowly. I have hard water and have found that the only fish I have no luck with at all are neon tetras and the dwarf groumai's. I have also found, but don't know why, that my ph tends to get lower. Another reason to do regular/often water changes.
 
Karnaaj said:
Having somewhat closely followed this thread Mishi, it appears to me that you have already made up your mind who's advice you're going to take.
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Oh really, Karnaaj? Didn't know you could read minds. I actually haven't made up my mind about anything yet.
 
fishpoor said:
Someone here posted that a way to check your gravel, was to remove a small portion and pour vinegar on it. If it "fizzes" it will affect your tank ph. Someone remember/ know about this - help us out here. You are super lucky to live near a fish store that offers classes for its customers, i'm jealous. That said, as long as you're not interested in breeding "soft" water fish your ph shouldn't be that big a problem. Once you've settled with what your "natural " ph is, acclimate any new fish very slowly. I have hard water and have found that the only fish I have no luck with at all are neon tetras and the dwarf groumai's. I have also found, but don't know why, that my ph tends to get lower. Another reason to do regular/often water changes.
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I'l have to try the vinegar test. I'm going to pop into Petsmart at some point too, to confirm what kind of gravel I actually bought (didn't keep the bag it came in). I haven't decided if I'm going to change it out yet either. I may just continue with the status quo and keep fish in my higher pH water with this gravel and see how it goes. I'd like to keep platys and/or mollies. Right now I have one balloon molly left (still cycling!) who probably isn't going to make it (she's been in this tank for 5-6 weeks now). :( Before these fish were struggling through the nitrites, though, they seemed to do well in this water.
 
Jtd724 said:
Imagaine for instace you had an odor problem in your room, and you went to a Homegoods or something to devoted to indoor living, and they said "oh just treat it with Lysol everyday or 2", your lungs would be a chemical melting pot after weeks of breathing that, i see the same with adding chemicals to water.
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I already live too close to refineries, thanks...and of course it's better to keep the big oil companies happy than to be strict about pollution to protect our environment, and the health of citizens. :eek:

Anyway, I haven't started adding anything to the water. I'm still mulling everything over.
 
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