big eye?

Q&A about diseases and their cure

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fmkeylock
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:31 am
Location: Cape Coral Florida
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big eye?

Post by fmkeylock »

hi pam
Thanks for info...when i built my caves i filed down any sharp spots but probably didn;t get them all..........when they get spooked they are really fast. i will do a partial water change every day to make sure. A,s far as PH it was 7.8 and i brought it up to 8.0. I just read one of your articles that you prefer around 9.0. i will bring PH up slowly would 8.5 be good enough? i bring PH up with baking soda and i put some in with every water change. this is such a delicate balance, if anything is off a little you can see a color change in the fish...amazing. i had no idea how much there is to taking care of fish, now i know why so many people just give up and sell tanks and equipment. I have learned so much in the last two weeks, maybe in the near future i can just sit and watch and enjoy instead of troubling shooting all day?? thanks for your help AGAIN
Pam Chin
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Re: big eye?

Post by Pam Chin »

Hi FM,

The closer you can get cichlids to their natural pH the better the fish is going to look and behave. However, when you start to play with your pH you do have to be careful. While Baking Soda will bump up your pH it will not hold it there forever. You are doing frequent water changes and adding baking soda, so you are probably doing fine. However, if for some reason you can keep your maintinance routine, or if the pH crashes, that is when your fish are at most risk. It is the up and down of the pH that is that is dangerous. So even if the pH is a little lower then what you are shooting for, it can be better for your fish, because it is stable. This issue is compounded with the fact that everyones water is different. There is no set recipe to achieve the perfect pH, it is a trial and error process with your water. Also there are many substrates (gravel/sand), rocks, and filter medias that you can use to bump your pH as well and then you don't have to worry about adding a chemical everytime you do a water change, or you may not need to add as much. Its going to be tough to get your pH up to a 9.0 I am blessed/cursed with that out of the tap, but if you can get it closer to 8.0-8.5 you should be fine.

Fish can often damage eyes just by hitting the side of the tank, but rocks or decorations in the tank are usually the culprits.

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Pam
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