Help!! Ph...how low is too low?

[meviva]

In just over a week the ph in my 125 gal has dropped from 8 to 6.8-7.0. It is probably from the driftwood I put in. The water is brownish and I have ordered purigen but it won't be here til Monday. I have to go out of town tomorrow afternoon. What can I do to stabilize it while I'm gone.

Thanks!

 

[Convict2161]

In just over a week the ph in my 125 gal has dropped from 8 to 6.8-7.0. It is probably from the driftwood I put in. The water is brownish and I have ordered purigen but it won't be here til Monday. I have to go out of town tomorrow afternoon. What can I do to stabilize it while I'm gone.

Thanks!

What fish are you keeping and how are they acting now?

 

[ktomminello]

If your stock list is what you have listed in your signature then you are better off leaving your pH, or lowering it.... 8.0 is cichlid pH.... Boras and other SE Asian schoolers/ labyrinth fish tend to do better in pH range of 6.0-7.0.....

 

[meviva]

The fish are acting fine. I'm afraid it will drop even lower while I am gone. The fish in the tank are:

2 Angels quarter-half dollar size
3 Silver Dollars half dollar size
3 Dennisons barbs 3"
2 Bala Sharks 2.5-3"
3 Rosy Fire Barbs 2.5"
1 Black Ghost 3"
3 Upside down Cats 2.5"
4 Peppered Cories 2.5"

 

[Convict2161]

The fish are acting fine. I'm afraid it will drop even lower while I am gone. The fish in the tank are:

2 Angels quarter-half dollar size
3 Silver Dollars half dollar size
3 Dennisons barbs 3"
2 Bala Sharks 2.5-3"
3 Rosy Fire Barbs 2.5"
1 Black Ghost 3"
3 Upside down Cats 2.5"
4 Peppered Cories 2.5"

I think you'll be fine. They adapt. It's large swings that cause issues. I haven't heard if driftwood causing such drastic pH drops. I have a ton of it in my African tank.

 

[ktomminello]

Driftwood will drop your pH- you could try adding a small amount of crushed coral or shells- that will usually counteract

 

[Convict2161]

8.0 to 6.8-7.0 is a pretty heavy drop for driftwood, I never experienced a drop in pH. That's some drop. How much driftwood do you have? Did you soak it? Boil it?

 

[meviva]

The biggest piece of driftwood is 28 lbs. I just put it in last week. I soaked it in the bathtub for a week with hot water and poured boiling water over it often. The water out of the faucet is around 8. Would a water change help?

 

[ktomminello]

I didn't think it would drop it that low- but I know that I have buffered my planted tanks to 6.8 from 7.2 with treated mopani.

 

[meviva]

The tank is planted and in addition to the huge driftwood there are two small/medium pieces of mopani and another medium piece of Malaysian. I just realized that its only been in the tank for 5 days and it dropped that much.

 

[meviva]

Here's a picture of the tank with the driftwood.

 

[Albino Sick Led]

Are you running CO2?

By any chance are you dosing liquid CO2 or running a reactor? That would be something that could drop your PH quite fast. I personally did not know drift wood would lower your ph, would someone explain the logic behind this to me please? I'm assuming this would be from chemicals used to preserve the wood?


Good luck on your tank, hope your livestock makes it through!

 

[meviva]

By any chance are you dosing liquid CO2 or running a reactor? That would be something that could drop your PH quite fast. I personally did not know drift wood would lower your ph, would someone explain the logic behind this to me please? I'm assuming this would be from chemicals used to preserve the wood?

Good luck on your tank, hope your livestock makes it through!

I am not using CO2 or running a reactor. I have been looking into a CO2 system but I think I better research it a little a little more to have a better understanding of how it works. I have heard that driftwood lowers the ph naturally. But I think it will be ok. I tested the water the next morning and it looked to be in the mid 7's. I'm not sure what happened the night before. I will test again tonight when I get home tonight to see how it is.