Hello all,
I have a 20G with 4 GF, with a 60G bio filter (w/ bio wheel). Although overstocked my tank perameters have never really been that out of whack.

pH: 8.0+ (-trying to lower it)
NitrAtes: 20
NitrItes: 0
Amonia: 0
Water Hardness: 300
Alkalinity: 300

My tank has been set up for over a year now., Recently I discovered that the dorm room I will be living in this year at school doesn't have AC. (So the fish wouldn't be comfortable I assume, it'll be too hot.) My mother agreed to watch them for a month or so, and I have shown her everything to do.

When moving the tank I left all the gravel in the tank with about 1.5 inches of water, and kept the filter metia in a plastic baggie with some water as well. Upon testing the water here in Indiana, the pH is through the roof and the akalinity as well. The tank was set up and given some time to settle, it started to cycle (get really clousy) so I did a 50% water change and added a new filter cartrigde along with the older one and added 10ml of API Stress Zyme, and this morning the tank was crystal clear and the peramaters read as above.

Is there anything I can do with out chemicals to lower the tanks pH? I know that amonia can become extremely toxic at such a high pH... and my poor mother is worried the goldie will all die in her care...

thanks for any info.

I wouldnt mess with the pH. The chance that it would shoot back up while you were gone would do far much more damage than ammonia, I think. At my old house, the pH was at least 8.4 (stained the test tube!) and it was hard enough walk on...and my ammonia went up to 3ppm while cycling (I was bad) and my fish didnt show any outward signs of discomfort.

If you kept all the filter media in tank water, it shouldnt need to recycle, it should be fine. Watch it for a few days and see what happens.

I wouldn't mess with it either.
So can you show her how to test the water?
or maybe get an ammonia alert card for the tank.
and have Prime or Amquel on hand.

Oh yea, she is testing every other day, and I have both of those on hand at her house. I showed her how to change the water a little if anything is really outta whack. I'm going back to visit next weekend, for their 2 week 25% water change, so it all should work out well. Thanks for you help!