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I've had my 20 gallon long cycled for about a month now. I just added my first school of 6 hatchet fish (working my way up to 10). However, two have died so far. After testing my water, I realized that my ph was over 8.0! It had origionally been 6.5. However, I had some pieces of coral in the tank. I figured they were fake, because, at first, they had absolutely no effect on water quality. Apparently, it just took a while! Anyway, I now need to rapidly change my ph back to either 7.0 or lower. However, I heard changing ph is best done gradually, as it will put the fish into shock. Obviously, I don't have the time to do this in this case. So, can I just add my bag od perfect ph 6.5? Or is there something else I can do? Already, another fish is loosing color and acting strangely. I know, if I don't do something, the whole school is lost!

Doing a sudden ph shift is going to be bad...that's part of why we acclimate.
What I'd suggest is that if your tap water has the right ph to just do a series of small partial water changes say 5-10% daily or even twice daily. That way the ph comes down to where it's supposed to be (I assume the coral is out now) and the fish get acclimiated to the lower ph gradually and without stress.
I'd also suggest leaving the lights off on the tank as it helps reduce stress.

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So you think that the hatchets will be able to survive in 7.5-8.0 ph while I aclimate them slowly? How long do you think it would take to get them to 6.5?

Cant say for sure, unless you have another tank that's set up and running that you could slowly acclimate them to I dont' see much of any other choice. If you were to dump in ph down it'd drop the ph suddenly then let it spring back up. A massive water change @this point would drop the ph a bit too fast as well. For now I'd say the best you can do (that I can think of anyway ) is to start with water changes that will lower the ph and make sure that all other stress factors (noise light ammonia) are kept to a minimum .

^_^[font color="#999999][hr width='40%']"When you try your best but you don't succeed. When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse
And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace. When you love someone but it goes to waste
COULD IT BE WORSE?" ~Coldplay" ][hr width='40%']"When you try your best but you don't succeed. When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse
And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace. When you love someone but it goes to waste
COULD IT BE WORSE?" ~Coldplay

Thanks alot. Kock on woood, the rest seem to have their color still and they are relatively healthy. Ironically, my brother's betta just died in a different tank. So now, he lost 3 fish (hatchets were his, I'm getting apistos and mom's getting cherry barbs) in one day. As soon as we were done with one funeral, we'd look into the tank and do another. Not a good morning,I tell you ]:|

Last edited by sirbooks at 19-Aug-2005 12:43

Great.....]:|
I just added about a gallon of water at 6.5(the 2.5 gallon hospital tank was only 1/3 full). The water is now at about 7.3ph, but another hatchet just died. I'm not down to three, and none of them are looking very good. My guess is that the ph dropped too rapidly (I didn't know it would change that fast). It looks like I'm making all the beginners mistakes I'm long overdue for on this one poor school
I'm just gona cross my fingers and wait. The 20 gallon is now coral-free and at 6.5. It is waiting ready for fish. Or do you think I should change the water? I'm thinking that I shouldn't play with it too much.

Last edited by djtj at 19-Aug-2005 14:15

GA! Sorry you lost that one .

If no one else is currently really showing signs of stress I'd just leave the tank the way it is for now.

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DT,

If your pH in the 20 is 8.0 and your tap water is 6.5, then a water change of 1 gallon will reduce your pH to 7.9 assuming that you actually have 18 gallons of weater in the aquarium due to substrate and hardscape.

Remove the coral and any suspect rocks from the aquarium. Begin daily water changes of 1 gallon per day.

The reason that the hatchets died is probably not the pH of your tank, at leat not directly... You should always know the water parameters that the fish are leaving and the parameters that you are putting them into. In many cases, the LFS will have substantially harder water than you may expect.

In all likelihood, you floated the fish then dumped the bag after equalizing temperature. You should drip water from your aquarium slowly over time into a bucket with the fish to allow them to gradually become accustomed to their new environment.

Additionally, fish from the LFS are stressed and generally not in peak condition. The rigors of transportion to the LFS, less than optimum conditions at the LFS, poor feedings during transportation and at the LFS, and the final netting process and transportation to your tank all may have contributed to any losses.





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Thank's for the tips, I'm kicking myself for those two mistakes (not using the drip method and not checking parimeters at the fist store). Especially since I'm dealing with fragile fish.

However, I think we're due for some good news. I haven't lost any more fish today, so I think that will be it for the losses of the great ph disaster of 05. I'm going to introduce the remaining 2 back into the 20 sometime this week. Then I'll go about replacing the school.