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RE: naive pH question

Hi Diane,

A pH crash is a sudden drop in the pH as the buffers in the water are used
up by waste products of the fish.  Sometimes they can be extreme I have seen
pH in the mid 7's crash down below 5 almost overnight. I have never had a
corresponding ammonia or nitrate blow out and yes I have tested. Some fish
seem to survive the crash better than others. But I have had multiple sudden
deaths correspond to pH crashes.  Even fish that seem to prefer acid water
do not like it when the pH crashes significantly and rapidly. Water changes
prevent pH crashes.

There are folks out there that do not believe that pH is important. Some of
us do. There are some very successful fish keepers in both camps. The fact
is that successful killie keepers in either camp do water changes and rarely
have pH crashes.

pH is not as important as some people might lead you to believe, but my
experience over 30 years of fish keeping and breeding has convinced me that
it does matter. It seems to affect sex ratios and egg fertility in some
species. Some fish just seem to do better and look better in certain water.
I do not want to start a debate here. If I go any further, I would most
likely start one.

Peace,


~RJ~

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-killietalk at AKA_Org [mailto:owner-killietalk at AKA_Org]On
Behalf Of Brown_D at pcfnotes1_wustl.edu
Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2002 4:04 PM
To: KillieTalk at AKA_Org
Subject: Re: naive pH question



If pH shifts are not important, then what is going on with the "pH crash"
we are always being warned about?


Diane Brown, MD, PhD
Fellow in Pediatric Rheumatology and Immunology
St. Louis Children's Hospital
314-454-6124/brown_d at kids_wustl.edu
________________________________


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