Can you guys help me read this PH?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Fencer164

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
May 20, 2017
Messages
9
Hey everyone! New to Aquarium Advice but been fishkeeping for almost 2 years. My wife and I are finally updating our 20gal to a 75gal... we are starting a planted tank and it has be cycling for 14 days. I went to take my water to be tested at a lfs and they used the quick test strips...said everything was great except for my PH... which was 6.8? My at home API Test Kit was saying about 7.2 the day before... I tested again after the LFS 6.8 reading and I think it says 7.2? Could you guys just double check? PH is the one I always have trouble reading.

Thanks
 

Attachments

  • 20170520_181626.jpg
    20170520_181626.jpg
    91.9 KB · Views: 59
I always find it easiest to read by putting it by the white background just off of the test strip. With that I think it looks closest to 7.2.

As far as then saying "everything is great except for the ph" well I would yell that individual they should get a different job than giving advice on water parameters. There is nothing wrong with 6.8 or 7.2. You are perfectly fine with either of those results and will not make a lick of difference between the two results or even anything plus or minus 3. Here is what you ask the next time you go in there

"so tell me what can I not get as far as fish or plants go by having a ph of 7.2 or 6.8??" Then tell then that if you somehow manage to keep alive a inhabitant that somehow survives in a ph of 7.2 or 6.8 of they will give you a $50 gift card.

You know it just pisses me off these LFS that tell you something that they have no clue about.
 
Thanks guys. I appreciate it. From what I have been told you don't want anything below a 7.0 for PH. Right now I have 7 tiger barbs and 4 black skirt Tetras that will be moving to the new tank. Even if it was 6.8 would they be okay? They have grown up in about 7.2-7.6 water
 
Thanks guys. I appreciate it. From what I have been told you don't want anything below a 7.0 for PH. Right now I have 7 tiger barbs and 4 black skirt Tetras that will be moving to the new tank. Even if it was 6.8 would they be okay? They have grown up in about 7.2-7.6 water



Well I will tell you I can assure you they will be perfectly fine in 6.8 ph. And I stick to my previous statement. They have no clue.
 
Your pH is perfect, now if you were trying to get fish that like higher ph then I would understand but the fish you have are absolutely fine with either 6.8-7.8, now if they are acclimated to 7.6 and the new tank is 6.8-7.2 you will want to drip acclimate them for an hour or 2 as a sudden change in pH can kill/will kill them, the most important thing is a steady pH as you don't want fluctuations most fish excluding some adapt to ph and have no issues.
 
Your pH is perfect, now if you were trying to get fish that like higher ph then I would understand but the fish you have are absolutely fine with either 6.8-7.8, now if they are acclimated to 7.6 and the new tank is 6.8-7.2 you will want to drip acclimate them for an hour or 2 as a sudden change in pH can kill/will kill them, the most important thing is a steady pH as you don't want fluctuations most fish excluding some adapt to ph and have no issues.



While I agree somewhat but not totally. Most fish are good when dealing with co2 which normally calls for a constant 1pt ph decrease and increase during the day. I find absolutely no need for a slow acclimation. Most fish have a ph range that ranges 4 or so ph to live in. All of my fish which range from danios to tetras, Cory cats, clown loaches, SAE's, plectos, shrimp and more have absolutely no issue with this daily ph swing. It's more important to Know the parameters they were bred and grew up in.
 
It would be an immediate drop / shock as if he just drop them in the lower pH tank when they are acclimated to a higher ph, its way different than a slow pH fluctuation with co2 which is pretty much the same thing as acclimating them Cause is a gradual fluctuation not instant.
 
Thanks guys. I appreciate it. From what I have been told you don't want anything below a 7.0 for PH. Right now I have 7 tiger barbs and 4 black skirt Tetras that will be moving to the new tank. Even if it was 6.8 would they be okay? They have grown up in about 7.2-7.6 water
I run multiple tank between 5.0 and 6.6 for some South American species. Anyone that told you, you don't want anything below 7.0 is a moron plain and simple. Wild caught species like Altums would not do well at 7.0 until they had been long acclimated if ever.
 
Back
Top Bottom