High ph

[Maltimomma]

The ph in my 55g and 29g tanks is 7.6. In the 55g there are 6 gouramis, 3 angelfish, 3 corys, 4 rosy barbs and 2 rainbows. I had 4 rainbows. but two days ago 2 rainbows died. Could the ph have caused them to die? All of the rest of the parameters are normal. Yesterday I did a pwc and vacuumed. I tested all params before and after the pwc with the same results each time. How do I lower the ph? Should I get some API ph down or is there a better way?

 

[jlk]

7.6 is not that bad as long as your ph is always around the same number. Swings (up or down) in ph are generally what cause an issue in fish. I dont know if your specific species of fish prefer a lower ph or not. What exactly are your water parameters (numbers)? Have you tested the ph of the water you use for pwcs? What is the source of the water you use for pwcs? Do not use ph down products-they are only a temporary fix and will only create more problems. There are natural ways to lower ph (such as peat moss or driftwood) but i will let someone with more experience advise on this!!

 

[BillD]

There is absolutely no reason to be concerned with that pH. Leave it as is. It is far better to have a steady pH than to play with it and risk problems.

 

[BBradbury]

Your pH Question

Good morning Malt...

The pH in your tank didn't kill your fish. A pH of 7.6 is fine as long as it remains constant. Fish prefer more alkaline water.

You can forget about pH and water hardness, etc. These things aren't important for keeping a successful tank.

As long as you remove the chlorine, chloramine and ammonia from your tap water, the fish will adapt to the rest. You should never try to change the pH, hardness, etc. of your tank water. Doing this can cause real water problems that can kill your fish.

Your only job is to change half the water in your tank weekly, with properly treated tap water and service the filter equipment when you do your water change. By all means, vacuum the gravel too if you don't keep real plants.

If you have more questions, feel free to ask.

B

 

[Maltimomma]

7.6 is not that bad as long as your ph is always around the same number. Swings (up or down) in ph are generally what cause an issue in fish. I dont know if your specific species of fish prefer a lower ph or not. What exactly are your water parameters (numbers)? Have you tested the ph of the water you use for pwcs? What is the source of the water you use for pwcs? Do not use ph down products-they are only a temporary fix and will only create more problems. There are natural ways to lower ph (such as peat moss or driftwood) but i will let someone with more experience advise on this!!

Heres what they were yesterday before and after pwc.

10/10/2011​

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PH​

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7.6​

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10/10/2011​

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Ammonia​

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0 ppm​

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10/10/2011​

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Nitrite​

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0 ppm​

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10/10/2011​

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Nitrate​

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40 ppm​

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[jlk]

Your numbers are good except for your nitrates-they are a bit on the high side. They should be at 20ppm or preferably less. Have you tested the water you use for pwcs for nitrates? How large are your pwcs? I would work on lowering your nitrate level and not be concerned with ph.

 

[Maltimomma]

Your numbers are good except for your nitrates-they are a bit on the high side. They should be at 20ppm or preferably less. Have you tested the water you use for pwcs for nitrates? How large are your pwcs? I would work on lowering your nitrate level and not be concerned with ph.

I just tested my tap water and it too is 40 ppm. We live in the desert and we are on a community well. What should I do to lower the nitrates?

 

[Rokuzachi]

I just tested my tap water and it too is 40 ppm. We live in the desert and we are on a community well. What should I do to lower the nitrates?

You could introduce a fair amount of live plants to your tank. That's probably the best natural solution to the issue.

 

[Maltimomma]

You could introduce a fair amount of live plants to your tank. That's probably the best natural solution to the issue.

Well what ya know. I have been considering live plants for some time, but have put it off because I have gravel and was concerned about that working. Thankfully, this wonderful site has already answered that and was told some plants that will do well in gravel. Now to add live plants and hopefully that will solve the nitrate issue.

Thanks so much for the help and advice

 

[Rokuzachi]

Well what ya know. I have been considering live plants for some time, but have put it off because I have gravel and was concerned about that working. Thankfully, this wonderful site has already answered that and was told some plants that will do well in gravel. Now to add live plants and hopefully that will solve the nitrate issue.

Thanks so much for the help and advice

If you do take the plunge, since you have Rosy barbs, I recommend having at least 1 roseate bulb in your fixture (I use 2 roseate and 2 6500k). It really makes the colors on them pop. Or anything with reddish color for that matter, and it's still good for the plants.

 

[BillD]

If you have 40ppm of nitrate in your water, I probably wouldn't drink it. As far as the tank goes, Purigen is supposed to reduce nitrates, and you could consider adding some to your filter. Plants are an ideal solution, as long as they are fast growers such as the floating hornwort and the various hygros. Slow growing plants won't such as Anubias and java fern won't help much. Most Vals will grow under low to medium light as will the hygro and hornwort.

 

[BBradbury]

Your 55 G

I just tested my tap water and it too is 40 ppm. We live in the desert and we are on a community well. What should I do to lower the nitrates?

Hello again malt...

A 40 ppm nitrate level in a 55 G tank isn't going to harm your fish. Unless you're keeping rare fish species, your fish can tolerate nitrate levels in this range for a long time with no problem. The nitrates would be quite tolerable with regular and large water changes, though.

I have several 55 Gs and change half the water weekly and service the filter at the same time, changing the media if necessary.

If you do these two things religiously, you'll never have to test the water again. I know I'm going against some expert advice here, but test kits are only necessary if you get lazy and don't take care of business. I can't recall the last time I tested the water in my tanks, because I do my water keeping duties faithfully.

B