How do you maintain a pH balance of 7?

[thomasina]

I have tried every fizz tablet, drops and baking soda recipe to get my pH to maintain just a 7! This is a freshwater, 10 gallon tank, no live plants, 8 glo-dinos, bio-filtered, and balance Ammo., Nitrite and Nitrate. This pH level is at times below 6. Any ideas, please!!!

 

[bud29]

To raise the pH, adding crushed coral or aragonite to the bottom of your tank will help.

 

[blert]

To raise the pH, adding crushed coral or aragonite to the bottom of your tank will help.

While this will work you are better off putting it in a media bag and stuffing it in your filter. This way you have more control over it as you can add or remove some if needed more easily. And it doesn't potentially ugly up your substrate.

 

[tamtam]

Well first of all drop the chemicals. They honestly create more problems than they solve. If there is a problem with your PH and it truly is supper low than there are more natural ways to up it.

Next test your tap water straight from the tap and then put some in a container and let it sit out for 24 hours, give it a few stirs and then test it. This will give you your out of tap PH and your true PH. Once you have these you can better tackle the situation.

What is your water change schedule like?

8 Danios in a 10 gallon is way too much. These guys should be in something more like a 20. They grow to be about 2 1/2 to 3 inches a piece.

If you PH after you let it sit out for 24 hours is really low than you can used crushed coral to bring it up. Just a bit in a media bag in your filter will work wonders. You will need to start off low and work your way up until you get it to a good range.

You don't need it at 7 even. Honestly a consistent PH is more important. So long as it's somewhere between 6.5 and 8 and stable your fish will be fine. Most fish will adjust to your PH level just fine.

 

[Athaocity]

um, sorry to butt in but tamtam I have one question. so instead of giving the tap water a few stirs, would airstones be a good alternative for testing the tap water?

--instead of stirring, how about adding a airstone bubbler?--

 

[tamtam]

um, sorry to butt in but tamtam I have one question. so instead of giving the tap water a few stirs, would airstones be a good alternative for testing the tap water?

--instead of stirring, how about adding a airstone bubbler?--

That's fine. You basically just want to get the water moving a bit.

 

[jlbfish]

+1 to airing


My water out of tap 7.4
In an airtight container 7.4 (obvious in hindsight but I thought it was leveling out after the week it had been stored.

Aired with an air stone? 8.2

 

[Athaocity]

ahh okay. I was intentionally trying to ask a question that may be helpful too. ehehe.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

I agree with the statement of using the crushed coral inside the filter. Waterflow through the material this way will effect your ph quicker.
I also have extremely low ph out of the tap but even so I'm able to keep healthy rift lake cichlids that require a higher ph. This is the formula "recipe" i use per 5gal. of tapwater.
1. 5drops of Seachem's Prime
2. 1tbsp epsom salts
3. 1tsp baking soda
4. 1tsp aquarium salt
This along with crushed oyster shell mixed into my gravel helps me maintain a ph of 7.8 - 8.1. Do you have any driftwood in your tank that may be altering your quest for a higher ph?

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Why even mess with the pH? Glofish are essentially zebra danios, which I've known to be one of the most hardy fish. They can adapt to pH from 6 to 8. Trying to alter the ph will just cause too much instability which is worse. Using a natural buffer like the crushed coral would work, but given the species involved here, the effort is unnecessary IMO.

 

[blert]

Why even mess with the pH? Glofish are essentially zebra danios, which I've known to be one of the most hardy fish. They can adapt to pH from 6 to 8. Trying to alter the ph will just cause too much instability which is worse. Using a natural buffer like the crushed coral would work, but given the species involved here, the effort is unnecessary IMO.

Extreme pH can be an issue in regards to your bio filter. Not sure about the high side but when it gets down into the low sixes nitrification slows dramatically. When it gets below six nitrification basically stops and your bio filter dies off. If the tank is heavily planted it is not an issue as the plants will uptake the nutrients and you don't have to rely on the bacteria so long as you supply the needed light and other nutrients.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Oh didn't know that aspect of pH. Thanks for the info.. Just read an article that elaborated on that. Never had to deal with low ph since my ph is always in the high 7's (except for the tanks i inject co2).