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more on CO2, hardness and pH



Hello
  I was just checking out my favorite planted fish tank and noticed all
was not good.  The first thing I did was test pH and found it very low
(below 5).  So I added a teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate to raise it. 
The pH crash must be attributed to the newly added DIY CO2, but my tap
water is so hard that I'd figure it would never be a problem.
  Water out of the tap:
- Calcium hardness 75 ppm
- Total hardness 119 ppm
- Alkalinity 66 ppm
- pH 8.1

  I use Seachem's Acid Buffer to lower pH to 7 and usually drops to 6.6
with CO2, but this morning it was dangerously low.  I literally lost a
female flagfish (I can't find her anywhere) and the male died in the
night.  Other fish are pretty stressed.  I hope I can save them.
  Any suggestions as to what I can do to help/prevent the situation?

Thanks
Jason Miller
Sherwood Park, AB
Canada