PH Buffer, Die Die must. Period. Options

[mountain]

splitted from thread here.
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I think for PH crash it might be misleading to have SODIUM BICARBONATE as 1st line of treatment .. SODIUM BICARBONATE is for buffering water, and not for treatment of fish's health plus if the PH crash, HB wouldn't advised you to dump 2 teaspoon of BS into the water immediately

[HappyBuddha]

Good write-ups Goldrush!

I'll try to summarize it for those too lazy to read it in full or can't comprehend it. Correct me if I'm wrong:-

EVERYBODY WHO USE BIO-FILTRATION MUST BUFFER YOUR WATER. PERIOD.



I should add one should raise the pH gradually. It's said thaT goldfish can tolerate a sudden decrease in pH better then a sudden rise, both of which are considered "pH Shock" but the sudden rise can be lethal.

I have the misfortune of losing (quite a few) of my precious collection due to pH crash. I didn't pay much attention to pH then and never buffer at all. The old water's pH was probably in the low 5s and after water changed, raised to well over 7.0. The 2.0 level difference is a very significant difference since a 1.0 change translate to ten fold changes in acidity. My fishes sunk to the tank's floor like a rock the moment they entered the new water, and never recovered. Learnt my lesson, and started buffering my bio-filtered tank. Unfortunately, I didn't know the pH was still dropping gradually despite my routine weekly water change habit. The same thing, death due to pH shock, happened again. It was then that I carried out tests and to my shock found out I need to top-up baking soda once every 3 days!

Since then I have not lost any fish.

So....

EVERYBODY WHO USE BIO-FILTRATION MUST BUFFER YOUR WATER. PERIOD.