Why do people...

[PufferGhoti]

The pH can be the easiest indicator of water issues, but only if the source water pH is included. I cannot remember seeing both ever given in initial inquiries. It all really needs to be accompanies by a complete list of additives used in the tank in the last months, but that never happens either. Plus, a "normal" pH can be read from a terribly bad water condition tank.

As RTR says relative pH changes can be important but if you don't qualify it with your basic water parameters you are no further forward. Most freshwater fish can live with a slow increase in nitrate but ammonia/nitrite are killers... but if you have a big enough filter system this does not come in to play... just over filter puffers and you are good to go.. then you are on the refinement discussions.... drop nitrates .. potential tankmates spawning etc.. it certainly not as black and white as this board makes it out... there is plenty to learn but the basic advise is good if not golden.

[RTR]

I confess I have caught myself writing nitrateS...but I hope that I have caught most of those before I hit "Submit". Dissolved organic compounds, DOCs, are really appropriate as plural as they have so many, many distinct forms.

I suspect that I have hundreds of pounds of "natural" gravel. If the tank is FW, it is very likely to be "natural" colored gravel. I have set some others, but they never stay up long.. Natural colored gravels I can live with indefinitely. The aragonites I select for SW/BW are in fact quite similar in color to the FW natural gravel. I suppose that I am basically conservative. There is a good bit of a really good black gravel that I pull out and use for certain setups, but not long-term.

[Master of Puffers]

may I add....

lfs who sell bettas in small cups..sometimes with coloured water and then sell equally small mini-tanks without filters, bubblers or heaters because bettas have a labrynth (sp??) organ and don't need all that fancy stuff.