I know what you're thinking, you're thinking "why don't you switch back to using fresh tap water for water changes and see if the cyano comes back?" It wouldn't be scientific proof (for that I would need eight identical cyano infected tanks in a randomised block design) but it would be reassurance that using AW was the critical factor in reducing the cyano. The reason I have been putting off doing this is because, on Saturday 6th October 2012 (week 115) one of the Cardinal Tetra died. This makes a total of six fish I have lost. The three Otocinclus from Chapter II. One of the nine Glowlight Tetra developed what looked like a tumour sometime in 2011 and died. I don't feel guilty about these deaths as they might not have been my fault. Then in week 85 one of the five Black Phantoms died. This probably was my fault. The death happened five weeks after the fish were netted for the total tank breakdown in Chapter IX. The Phantom had been visibly ill for a while and showed the classic symptoms of a bacterial infection. Swollen eyes and body, totally off his food. I think he probably picked up the infection through a wound inflicted during his netting. The Cardinals death was different, he/she developed the sunken chest and curved spine that I have only ever seen when newly added fish are failing to adjust to tank conditions. This made me suspect that a change in tank pH might be responsible. So two days after I did some pH tests.
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| AW pH |
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| Tap water pH |
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| Tank water pH |
It seems maturing my tap water for a week results in a lowering of its pH. And that by using it for water changes I have lowered the pH of my tank. I think the Cardinal Tetra that died failed to adjust to this change in tank pH. He/she died four days after the third AW change.
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