Lost a cory---low pH?

D

dimsem

Getting Feet Wet
Dec 25, 2004
43
0
0
Norfolk VA
I lost a spotted cory today. My major stats are:
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0.25 ppm
Nitrates: 5 ppm
Okay, the nitrites shouldn't be that high, but I am more worried about what I found when I checked pH: 6.0. That is way too low, isn't it? I'm getting ready to go out of town, so right now I'd like an easy short term way to address this. We have a lot of pea gravel in our landscaping, and I am wondering if that is/contains calcium carbonate.
 
Hmm.. i dont think i can really answer your question, but ive found my cory cat to be pretty tolerant of nitrite/nitrate spikes, so id guess it might be the ph.
 
What was the pH before? Most fish can acclimate to a wide range of pH, but changes must be gradual. If this was a fast and big swing in pH then it might be responsible. Is your tank cycled?
 
Harlock said:
What was the pH before? Most fish can acclimate to a wide range of pH, but changes must be gradual. If this was a fast and big swing in pH then it might be responsible. Is your tank cycled?
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The truth is that I hadn't checked pH in a long time, since shortly after I first set the aquarium up in January. Then it was right under 7, I think. Not knowing what else to do, I added a "Tank Buddies" tablet that is supposed to keep the pH at 7.0. I know that is a short term fix; I just hope it doesn't raise it back up too quickly.
 
dimsem said:
The truth is that I hadn't checked pH in a long time, since shortly after I first set the aquarium up in January. Then it was right under 7, I think. Not knowing what else to do, I added a "Tank Buddies" tablet that is supposed to keep the pH at 7.0. I know that is a short term fix; I just hope it doesn't raise it back up too quickly.
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Indeed. If this turns out to be a chronic problem (and I do hope you check often when you get back to find out if it is) then there are some long term treatments to keep a higher pH, if you decide you need it. If it is a stable 6.0, it's not bad. If you are having a fluctuating pH, then you can buffer the water and that will keep the pH more stable. In all honesty, Cory cats come from acidic water so a lower pH isn't necessarily bad, just that the swings can be.
 
Harlock said:
Indeed. If this turns out to be a chronic problem (and I do hope you check often when you get back to find out if it is) then there are some long term treatments to keep a higher pH, if you decide you need it. If it is a stable 6.0, it's not bad. If you are having a fluctuating pH, then you can buffer the water and that will keep the pH more stable. In all honesty, Cory cats come from acidic water so a lower pH isn't necessarily bad, just that the swings can be.
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Well, it could be that pH wasn't the problem then. The other numbers don't look that bad, though. I guess it could just be one of those things. This was the second cory I've lost; the first was at the end of January, I guess, after the aquarium had been set up just a week or so. At that point I was having trouble cycling; you may remember helping me through my BioSpira issues. I have no clue if the one that died this week was the remaining one of my original pair or if it was the replacement that I bought for the first one to die. I'm a little hesitant to buy another now, though, although I know they do well in pairs and they did seem playful with one another.
 
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