Re: Mythical "pH kill" (was message)

[Wright Huntley <jwwiii at pacbell_net>]

 > Date: Sun, 10 Nov 2002 12:04:53 -0500 From: "Michael Pizzi"
 > <Michael.Pizzi2 at Verizon_net> Subject: Message
 >
 > Hello, All out there, i just had a major problem. My 90 gallon planted
 > tank just died off, every plant died because of a huge PH shift because
 > of the town water i just lost 35 fish along with all my plants. snip...

Because of a pH shift? I very seriously doubt that. Something *else* 
changed in your water, and until you find out what it was, you will be 
very likely to repeat this sad experience. You have our sympathy, as this 
must have been devastating.

Fish mostly don't feel pH (above 4 and below 10) and most plants are 
pretty tolerant of a very wide range of pH, too. It is easy to measure and 
sometimes accompanies *other* chemical changes, so pH-change gets a very 
high level of mythology attached to it. The chemical illiteracy of a 
number of authors of fish books just adds to this problem.

Until you really know what actually changed and caused the die-off, so you 
can prevent a repeat, I suggest that you not ask folks to replace your 
losses. The pH shift may have accompanied the toxic blast, but it is 
unlikely there is any causal relationship between pH change and the die off.

That's just my US$0.02. [Free advice is, of course, worth every penny, 
too. :-)]

Wright

-- 
Wright Huntley -- 209 521-0557 -- 731 Loletta Ave, Modesto CA 95351

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