Cloudy Water.....NOTHING Works!

Question
My 55 gallon freshwater tank has been set up since the beginning of Jan. 2006.  I have 2 albino catfish, 3 zebra danios (2 died), 1 guppie (2 died), 2 large yellow fish (don't know what they are called), and 2 red gouramis.  In addition to the above "dead list" I also have killed off 2 dwarf frogs and 2 plecosemus (algae eaters).  This was 1-1.5 months ago.  After several trips to the pet store, I discovered that all my chemical levels were HIGH!

Now for the last month I have all chemicals in "safe" levels, except the PH.  I cannot get the PH to come down (it is at the last dot on the strip 8.7?), and the water is VERY cloudy.  For the last month I have been adding PH down every 24 hrs by the bottle's directions, but the level NEVER even fluctuates.  I have done water changes, used water clearer, and added aquarium salt (upon recommendation of the local pet store).

Thank you for ANY help you can give!  I am at a loss!

Answer
Hi Rachel;

The pH Down will cause cloudiness as it attempts to deal with the minerals in the water. Have your tap water tested for hardness and also pH. The pH might even be low when it first comes from the tap, but with aeration and circulation it will rise if it has enough minerals. If the water is already hard and high in pH from the tap, that's the problem. This means you will have to soften the water in your tank with the use of driftwood or bogwood decorations, peat in the filter, RO water or CO2 injection. I will give you links to info about these at the end of this letter. It might be best to stop using the pH Down. It obviously isn't helping and can actually cause your fish tremendous stress.

Also look at your decorations. Do you have any shells, limestone, coral or marble in there? All of these will cause pH to rise from the minerals leaching into the water. Look at your gravel too. If it is a gravel called "Dolomette", or dolomite with colored coating, this is a source of excess minerals too. Here is a link to closeup pictures of them;

http://www.novalek.com/kas1.htm

The ones that are fluorescent and those say "dolomette" are those to stay away from. They are a crushed mineral known as dolomite. Even when colored-epoxy-coated they will leach minerals and raise the pH. Perfect for brackish and marine tanks, but can cause trouble in freshwater tanks. If nothing else works, you may have to change it for a regular plain pebble rock.

Here are web sites explaining pH and altering methods;

http://www.aqualink.com/columns/k-hands7.html
http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/ph.htm
http://www.hallman.org/plant/booth1.html
http://www.drhelm.com/aquarium/chemistry.html
http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/begin-chem.html

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins