My Kh and Ph levels

Question
Hi Nori its me again.
Recently my tanks Kh levels have been going quite low to about 2-3 in turn my ph is begining to lower. I know I can get the wonderfly expensive Ph Buffer at a store but is there a easier natural way to handle this. Why would my Kh go this low to begin with? Also should I, when i clean my tank, not only siffon the water and dig the siphon into the gravel but also take some gravel out and wash it? Would not washing the gravel affect the Kh?

Answer
Hi Lou,
Thank you for your question. The best way to clean the tank is described on my aquarium care page:
http://steamboats.com/aquarium.html
You get a "vacuum," which is a syphon with a wide tube on the business end. It will pull out debris, but does not create a strong enough suction to take gravel, fish, or anything else you don't want to lose.
You can see a picture of it on my web page.
You only want to change about twenty percent of the water at a time. Also, when you add new water, condition it with Cycle. It's a product that contains organic biology, i.e. friendly bacteria, that make the tank water more like water in a natural habitat.
If you do not overfeed, and if you condition the water, your Ph and other levels should stabalize.
Please try my system and see if it works for you. Feel free to write back if you want to discuss further.
Nori