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Re: Lowering pH when adding hard water nutrients to soft water



> Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2000 15:08:50 -0600 (MDT)
> From: Roger S. Miller

> You don't have to let 20% of you water evaporate to see
> an effect...
>
> Salt concentrations will tend to rise over time...

This point _is_ rather indisputable, and is one of the "given"s of the
situation. It's the final effect on the tank that worries people where it's
not necessary - it's too easily avoided to spend much more time than to
acknowledge the possibility because

> I don't keep or breed fish that are sensitive to salt content,
> so I don't worry about this buildup...

this is the most "normal" and sane position to adopt in a freshwater setup.
Certainly Mollies and other live-bearers won't mind - Rift Lakers probably
wouldn't even notice. Even "cola water" varieties experience _some_ seasonal
variations.

Those who decide

> If I were breeding sensitive fish in tanks that I kept running
> for years -- or in tanks where I added a lot of dissolved
> salts -- then I'd seriously consider doing the occasional very
> large water change...

usually enter into such a venture with the direct intent of achieving
specific conditions. And they most often have the tools that allow them to
produce those conditions - pH meters, conductivity meters (must say, the
handiest thing I've picked up in quite a while) and the like. And they most
often approach this particular situation with the intent of large change-
outs, etc..

I myself change too much water too frequently, in ever- varying volumetric
quantities, to spend any more time on the problem than to answer an
occasional question about it...

-Y-