High ph in freshwater fish tank!!!

[Polkadots]

Hi,

My ph is at 8.2 in my freshwater aquarium! Luckily, I'm currently doing a fishless cycle in my aquarium, so there are no fish at risk or whatever. However, my tap water is at 8.4.

My plan for stocking my tank was this: One male betta, 5 cory cats, 5 harlequin rasaboras, and 5 platies. Will the fish be able to survive and thrive in such high ph?

Any suggestions for lowering it? I know not to use chemicals, and I've read peat moss and driftwood works well...

Thanks!

 

[Dallascowboys16]

Fish will adapt to almost any ph as long as it is stable. Just make sure that you acclimate your fish correctly before putting them in.

 

[Jolene85]

Hi, My ph is at 8.2 in my freshwater aquarium! Luckily, I'm currently doing a fishless cycle in my aquarium, so there are no fish at risk or whatever. However, my tap water is at 8.4. My plan for stocking my tank was this: One male betta, 5 cory cats, 5 harlequin rasaboras, and 5 platies. Will the fish be able to survive and thrive in such high ph? Any suggestions for lowering it? I know not to use chemicals, and I've read peat moss and driftwood works well... Thanks!

I think you can put a little aquarium salt in to lower it but if you have any buffers that's going to stop it from changing like it normally would without the buffers and then you could have a spike. Not 100% sure about this but that's what I'm dealing with and so I have read. Good luck!!

 

[Toad]

Also if you're buying local odds are the water at the store is higher too, so it won't be as big of a deal for them. Still acclimate them though.

 

[Khuligirl93]

I don't think salt lowers pH.. If you want to lower it a bit you can add a piece of driftwood.

 

[Jolene85]

I don't think salt lowers pH.. If you want to lower it a bit you can add a piece of driftwood.

Well then I was lied to again!! Dang Internet!!

 

[flitabout]

I had platys and Cardinal tetras thriving in a pH of 8.8 You should be fine!

 

[BBradbury]

Your Tapwater pH

Hi,

My ph is at 8.2 in my freshwater aquarium! Luckily, I'm currently doing a fishless cycle in my aquarium, so there are no fish at risk or whatever. However, my tap water is at 8.4.

My plan for stocking my tank was this: One male betta, 5 cory cats, 5 harlequin rasaboras, and 5 platies. Will the fish be able to survive and thrive in such high ph?

Any suggestions for lowering it? I know not to use chemicals, and I've read peat moss and driftwood works well...

Thanks!

Hello Polk...

You'll likely get a chemistry lesson with this question. I'd say don't fret over the chemical makeup of your tap water. Most aquarium fish will adapt to most public water supplies. All you need to do is keep the water chemistry stable with large weekly water changes.

Some people use plants like Duckweed or Brazilian water weed to lower the pH. These plants use the minerals like calcium that make water alkaline. You can use peat and pieces of driftwood to lower the pH too. These are a couple of natural ways. I wouldn't use chemicals or anything like that, you won't be able to maintain a specific pH with them and they can cause sudden pH changes your fish won't tolerate.

Keep things simple by keeping the tank water clean by performing regular water changes and float the recommended plants.

B

 

[mrvincent]

PH is high when KH (Carbonate hardness, or alkalinity) is high. This is probably due to your tap water. I won't add PH minus to the tank.

You can cut a bit or RODI with your tap water to lower KH, PH will drop by itself after this.

 

[Rivercats]

Plants don't lower ph. Almost all fish except some delicate or breeding species acclimate to a tanks ph. As already said a stable ph is the most important. Don't try to fix what isn't broken.

 

[Jolene85]

Plants don't lower ph. Almost all fish except some delicate or breeding species acclimate to a tanks ph. As already said a stable ph is the most important. Don't try to fix what isn't broken.

So if I have angels that are acclimated to the ph in my tank do they need it to be at the ph that fish requires before they spawn or will they spawn because they are acclimated to the water?
Only asking because that's when you know your fish are in the best quality water for them right?

 

[mrvincent]

Stability is the most important thing for tank-bred fish. Avoid playing with PH, it's a great fish killer. If you want to cut your tap water with RODI, cut it with little RODI, and at each water change.

Most of delicate fishs won't spawn if not kept in the right conditions. Don't put it one shot in another tank that have a different PH, they'll have to acclimate (stress)

 

[Rivercats]

So if I have angels that are acclimated to the ph in my tank do they need it to be at the ph that fish requires before they spawn or will they spawn because they are acclimated to the water?
Only asking because that's when you know your fish are in the best quality water for them right?

Over the past 30 years I've had angels spawn in all levels of ph. While some fish won't spawn unless water parameters are to their liking many species that have acclimated to a ph will indeed spawn even if it's not their targeted range.

 

[Jolene85]

Thanks.

 

[Polkadots]

So, I have another question: How do you acclimate fish to this ph properly? Thanks!