Path: utzoo!hoptoad!ptsfa!pacbell!ames!nrl-cmf!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!husc6!necntc!dandelion!ulowell!apollo!henry_k
From: henry_k@apollo.uucp (Keith E. Henry)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: pH
Summary: Want pH basics
Message-ID: <3ac595db.c998@apollo.uucp>
Date: 10 Mar 88 16:20:00 GMT
Reply-To: henry_k@apollo.UUCP (Keith E. Henry)
Organization: Apollo Computer, Chelmsford, MA
Lines: 16

IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT MY pH QUESTION, READ NO FURTHER.

A have a community 10 gal. fresh water tank with approximately
10 small fish.  I have gravel, a rock (aquarium store variety),
plastic aquarium plants, and an outside Aqua Junior (or something)
filter with Ammo-carb in it.  I do a 20% water change every week.
Things are working pretty well.  However, even though the water I
add tends to have low pH, by week end the pH is high.  I need to 
add chemicals every mid week to keep it around 7.0.

My question is:  Could some knowledgable person out there give me
and/or the NET the basics about why pH changes and what it means?
Is it natural for it to edge higher, or is something wrong?  Is there
something about the set-up that should be changed?  Thanks.

/keh