tank quandries

[Scott Roberts <roberts at gwu_edu>]

I'll admit it - i'm a bad person. After having my 25 tall planted tank 
for 3 years i finally decided to do a water test ;-}. Everything came 
out ok, but the PH is 8.  I was worried that it might have been drifting 
because i'm not so good at water changes.. but i tested the tap water 
and that came out at 8 also. The fish are pretty healthy, the plants do 
decently (a little bit of algea on the leaves and every once in a while 
i have to get rid of some of the swordplant's leaves because they get 
covered). The substrate in the tank is 2 inches of vermiculite covered 
by 2 inches of flourite. I add in flourish twice a week (i'm gonna pick 
up flourish excel next time i'm at a good fish store) and the fish get 
fed automagically every day by the feeder. Lighting is 80w of N.O. 
Fluorescent. Water changes are few and far between.

So should i worry about bringing down the PH? And what will be the best 
way to do it? I'll probably be up at That Fish Place this weekend 
picking up supplies to start up a nano-reef w/ refugium (mmm... 
saltwater plants) so i can pick up whatever I need.

On another note - i hear good things about the jobe fern and palm spikes 
but I can't seem to find them anywhere in my area (Washington DC). Where 
does everybody else pick them up? Or should i add something else? PMDD?

I'm always looking to improve the tank so any suggestions people can 
give me would be greatly appreciated.

Test Results
    PH:    8
    Ammonia:    Undetectable
    Nitrite:        Undetectable
    Nitrate:        Need to pick up a kit that measures it
    GH:    4    (remembering off the top of my head)
    KH:    11    (remembering off the top of my head)

Fish
    2 Clown Loaches
    4 Cherry Barbs
    5 Otto Cats
    1 Flying Fox (big and mean old guy, i'm thinking of getting rid of him)
    2 Silver tip tetras
    2 glowlight tetras
    1 red serpae tetra

Plants:
    Microswords
    Chain swords
    big swords (hmm, a theme?)
    Mondo
    Bronze Wendtii
    couple other random plants.

PS: Some old pics/info on my tank are at: 
http://www.angelfire.com/me3/ScottR/fish/tank1.html  I really need to 
update the page, the tank looks nothing like the picture anymore except 
for the sword plants and the clay pot.