Far too low pH

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SlyDifference

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
22
Location
USA
So I was testing the water of my new tank, which has held 3 platys for 4 days so far, already been cycled, when my pH is alarmingly low (this is my first time testing pH). I had previously purchased only an ammonia and nitrite kit so I didn't know anything about the pH. I am led to believe the cause is my tap water, since I tested my tap water and discovered it's lower than my tank water. Is there a way to up my pH? Thanks!
 
So I was testing the water of my new tank, which has held 3 platys for 4 days so far, already been cycled, when my pH is alarmingly low (this is my first time testing pH). I had previously purchased only an ammonia and nitrite kit so I didn't know anything about the pH. I am led to believe the cause is my tap water, since I tested my tap water and discovered it's lower than my tank water. Is there a way to up my pH? Thanks!

Hello Sly...

If you're not keeping rare fish, you don't need to know the chemical makeup of your tap water. Just remove and replace half the tank water every week or so with pure, treated tap water. What is important is to keep ammonia and nitrite out of the water. You do that through a water change.

I have a tank full of Platys and just change out the water every week. I don't ever test it, just change it out regularly. The fish and plants are fine.

B
 
Hello Sly...

If you're not keeping rare fish, you don't need to know the chemical makeup of your tap water. Just remove and replace half the tank water every week or so with pure, treated tap water. What is important is to keep ammonia and nitrite out of the water. You do that through a water change.

I have a tank full of Platys and just change out the water every week. I don't ever test it, just change it out regularly. The fish and plants are fine.

B

Okay, phew! I can breathe a little easier now. What exactly constitutes a "rare" fish?
 
Okay, phew! I can breathe a little easier now. What exactly constitutes a "rare" fish?


If a fish is 'rare' it usually means is not as commercially available since it is not bred in a farm like most fish you see in your LFS. It has been wild caught and so will find it much more difficult to adapt to varying water parameters unlike farm bred fish that have been raised and shipped and housed in fluctuating water chemistry.

Some fish such as the discus and ramizeri are notoriously finicky fish for one reason or another.

As long as parameters are stable you should be fine.

Having said all that you need to protect the ph from falling further as this may upset the nitrogen cycle. Research has shown that the bacteria slow at a ph below 6.5 and stop altogether at <6

Weekly water changes are usually enough to ensure this doesn't happen.


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If a fish is 'rare' it usually means is not as commercially available since it is not bred in a farm like most fish you see in your LFS. It has been wild caught and so will find it much more difficult to adapt to varying water parameters unlike farm bred fish that have been raised and shipped and housed in fluctuating water chemistry.

Some fish such as the discus and ramizeri are notoriously finicky fish for one reason or another.

As long as parameters are stable you should be fine.

Having said all that you need to protect the ph from falling further as this may upset the nitrogen cycle. Research has shown that the bacteria slow at a ph below 6.5 and stop altogether at <6

Weekly water changes are usually enough to ensure this doesn't happen.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

Okay, thank you all so much! I'm very grateful
 
Yeah I agree with Caliban, stability is more important than the "right" pH number. Plus, 6.4 is a pretty standard pH for many tropical fish as they like softer, slightly acidic water. Alarmingly low would be like 5 or lower. I think you are safe as long as your pH doesn't fluctuate very much.
 
One thing to check would be the pH of your tap water after sitting for 24 hours. When I first started I discovered early on that my tap water makes a swing of at least 1 whole pH point over 12 hours of aeration and has virtually no buffering capacity to speak of. My tap was 7, but my tank would drop to 6.4 over the course of a week between water changes. If you're stable at 6.4, by all means carry on, but I just wanted to throw out something that is worthwhile to test for

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