Hi Berney,
You made me laugh with this post (voodoo reference) ...
This stuff sure does seem like VooDoo to m sometimes.
I've been watching this group and most people don't believe in the
UGF. Are you having good results with a UGF? Didn't think
it was ideal for Goldfish. Please comment on your setup.

About your comment on not cleaning the entire gravel bed at the
same time, are you saying that maybe I did overclean my gravel?
My Nitrates use to hover around 40ppm, 50ppm worst case.
After i devised this killer suction gravel siphoner system (I attach
a 3/4" garden hose to a python and run it 20ft down into the basement,
the suction is crazy) now my Nitrates are always below10ppm, is that
a bad thing?

Besides that it's true that my city water KH is way too low (25ppm)
I really think my problem was as you say, lack of Alkhalinity.

....Kodiak

"BErney1014" wrote in message
...

sorry, but that colored and maybe coated gravel breaks down and becomes
really toxic
all on its own,

Gravel will raise hardness if it's the "wrong" kind. Pour some acid on the
gravel, does it fizz? Kodiak's problem was lack of alkalinity.

you
are not over
cleaning your gravel, it has gone toxic. get it out, if you must use
plain
old pea
gravel.

Kodiak, common practice is NOT to clean the entire bed at one time. If you
are
serious, install a UGF.

yes, the black crud could be a toxic type of algae. bleach the lid,
rinse
well of
course.

She's making it up.

Good luck Kodiak, too bad she's feeding you voodoo.