AboutRon Coleman Expertise I am an expert on cichlid fishes, particularly New World cichlids. My broader expertise includes the behavior, ecology and reproduction of fishes in general. (I am NOT an expert on Goldfish. Please do not ask me questions about why your goldfish are sick -- they are almost always sick due to the way that they are sold). Also, please do not use abbreviations, such as "my GT has a swollen
eye" because I don't know what a "GT" is. The more clearly you can explain your question, the better chance I have of understanding what it is that you seek. Thanks.
Experience I teach at the California State University, Sacramento in the Department of Biological Sciences, and I run a website, called the Cichlid Research Home Page . I also write for many popular aquarist magazines, and I am editor of Cichlid News magazine. I am a scientist and I spend my time teaching fish biology, ecology, behavior and evolution and doing research on the reproductive biology of fishes, particularly cichlids. I do research in the laboratory and in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico. My main interest is understanding the evolution of parental care in fishes. I am interested in encouraging greater public awareness, understanding and participation in science.
Organizations belong to American Cichlid Association, Pacific Coast Cichlid Association, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, etc
Publications Cichlid News, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Freshwater and Marine Aquarium, Science, Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, Copeia, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, AUK, Environmental Biology of Fishes
Expert: Ron Coleman Date: 5/6/2008 Subject: low ph in my tap water
Question I have well water, very low ph, which causes problems in my tanks, I have a 45 gallon with 6 chiclids in it and I have a 20 gallon with a jellybean(female)and who knows how many fry, I also have a brand new 4-5 gallon tank that I don't have anything in yet. the chemistry is about the same in each tank. would it be ok to ad baking soda to the water when I do water changes and how much would i add. I have a layer of crushed coral in the fry tank, which seams to be working somewhat but the 45 gallons ph drops when I do a water change because of my tap water have very low or no ph. what can I do
the water is hard in all the tanks
the ph is in and about 6.8
the alkalinity is normally 80ish
Answer Hi Sara,
6.8 is not low pH. 5.0 is low pH. 6.8 is almost exactly neutral.
What kind of cichlids do you have other than the jellybean (which is
perfectly fine at a pH of 6.8)? Some kinds of cichlids like high pH
while other kinds like neutral or even low pH.
-- Ron
rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>
