I have been trying to get my pH level in my tank up but have been unsuccefull. This is where I stand

29 Gal. Tank

tank in the middle of the cycle but keeping close eye on the the tank paramaters.
the pH levels have been 6.2 for about 4 weeks now and I have tried everything. I have tried two doses of the proper pH 7.0 and has not worked. I found out that this powder can be dangerous to my oranda, so I don't want to stress her out.
I purchased some crushed coral today and I need to know exactly how to apply it. I know that I can put it into a cut-up (clean) piece of panty-hose, but should I place this in my filter or should I have it free floating in the tank? How much do I need to apply?

Any help would be greatly appreciated so that I can get this ammeded as soon as possible!

I have mine in the media baskets in my filter.
but if you don't have media baskets, i'm sure you can put it just free floating in the tank (in the pantyhose)

-as for how much, i don't know that part

Thanks! I put it in the filter last night in the panty hose and checked the pH level last night as well as this morning and there was no change in the pH levels. Am I doing something wrong here or do I need to give it more time?

"peekaboo", I see you.............

Dawn I replied to your other thread.

Yeah!!!!!!! I know that you help so many other members too...LOL!!! I just thought that I would get some opinons from other members and see what they had to say about the coral. I read the link that you posted in our other thread about the coral, but it just didn't specify adding if needing to adjust the pH levels and things like that so I am trying to help you out and look up some things as well to help out with the investigation!

I asked about crushed coral at the koi farm and the owner said not to use it. He said goldfish don't like hard water. Well, he has won the national title for best koi so I guess he knows a thing or two about fish.

He suggested to use alkaline buffer such as Seachem Gold Buffer. He said at first it may be necessary to build up the buffer with additional doses but once the desired pH has been reached it was only necessary to do maintenance doses with water changes.

Interesting!!!! Thanks for the information!

That is good to get others opionions, I am going to move the thread to the chemistry part of the board since it is just about the ph.

Oops! Sorry! Just move me around...I don't mind!!!

You'll want to put it in a high flow area. either a hose or a media basket should work fine. Given your low pH, I'd put as much as I could fit after we get pH raised slowly with baking soda. Crushed coral dissolves when pH is below 7.5.

Sounds like your tap water doesn't have much buffering capacity. I'd gradually increase KH and pH by adding baking soda. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in some tank water, then add it slowly to a high flow area. Wait a bit then test pH again. Repeat till pH increases by abuut. .4. I'd do this daily till pH is in the mid to high 7s.

So could you post the pH and KH of your tap water?

there is some good reading on how the buffering thing works here:
http://dataguru.org/misc/aquarium/FishInfo.html#WaterQuality
in the pH, KH, GH and biofiltration section.