PH problem solved! :-)

[pugsandseals]

Took a sample of our water to an aquarium shop today & had it tested. Test for ph was 8.0 when ours still says 7.0 at home! His best guess was that there was something wrong with our test kit so I am going to look online for a new one (they are soooo expensive!). That means it must have been dodgy from the start & apart from a phosphate reading of 2.0 he was very happy with all the other results.

So relieved to find there isn't a problem after all!

Thanks to all for the support over the last few weeks - at least we now know that all was ok except for that one nitrite spike!

[EauRouge]

Yay! You can get digital pH meters that are really accurate, ebay would probably be the cheapest place. I still think you are worrying too much about the phosphate, did he try and sell you any phosphate-reducing stuff? Anyway, I'm glad you've got it all sorted, it would have started keeping me awake at night fairly soon

[pugsandseals]

You were right - he also told me to stop worrying about the phosphate!