I have 66 gal freshwater tank. I have had it set up for about 2 months. I was able to maintain & breed mollies, until just recently. I noticed two of my older fish acting sluggish. I tested the water and found that the ph was zero & water was too hard. I added ph tabs as recommended through neighborhood aquarium store. That still did not fix the prob & I ended up losing all of my aquarium fish. Luckily, I kept the fries in a seperate tank. I feel that it's just going to be a matter of time before I lose them also. :?
NO pH... ??
- Thread starter Robin1411
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That is what the store has told us, so what do you suggest to fix the prob, I have already done a 50% water change last week----should I start from ground zero? The store that we bought everything from has offered no advice except to get my water from another end of town!?
G
Guest
Guest
A pH of zero is absolutely not possible. You, or your LFS, are doing the test wrong. VERY wrong.
Suggest you find another, better LFS. An indicator of potential is to call and ask if they test pH/kH as a courtesy. After finding potentially good LFS, perhaps you can throw some immediate buisness their way by picking up a new pH kit. Post back with measurements for advice on future action.
RoK
Aquarium Advice Addict
Liquid test kits are much more accurate than strips (in case that's what's being used).
Here is the result of water sample from bottom of tank from today: nitrate - 20, nitrite - 0, GH - 300, KH - 0, pH - 6.0. Does anyone have any suggestions - I have used tabs from Jungle (entire box - 8), I have also used the liquid pH increaser. My tanks pH has remained at this level with no fish, filter system running & have changed cartridges & water. What else is there?
Fishyfanatic
Aquarium Advice Addict
Did you clean your gravel? If so, your tank is going to re-cycle. If not, it will most likely be going through a mini-cycle if not a whole new cycle because of the new water and cartridges. Whatever you do, do not use tabs or liquid pH increaser. It will only cause problems with pH swings. Instead, use crushed coral to increase pH or driftwood to lower it. It is a more natural way to do it. In fact, fill up a glass of water from the tap. Let it sit out overnight and then test the pH. Having that reading will give you a better way to determine what you need to do to alter your pH naturally according to your fish requirements.
There must be something wrong with the test kit because it is not possible to have a pH of 0 in an aquarium. In fact, test kits don't even go down that low. The lowest I've ever seen was 5.5 up to 8.8.
There must be something wrong with the test kit because it is not possible to have a pH of 0 in an aquarium. In fact, test kits don't even go down that low. The lowest I've ever seen was 5.5 up to 8.8.
if your ph was ZERO...then by the time u took ur hand out of the tank it should be only bones at the very least...its even more acidic than the acid in ur car batteries!!!! so u can imagine what it would have done to ur skin....
beblondie
Aquarium Advice Activist
1-2pH is battery acid
nitrate - 20,/ nitrite - 0,/ GH - 300, /KH - 0, /pH - 6.0. Um if I read this right your pH is 6.0
nitrate - 20,/ nitrite - 0,/ GH - 300, /KH - 0, /pH - 6.0. Um if I read this right your pH is 6.0
TomK2
Aquarium Advice Addict
Welcom to AA!
Ok, your pH is low because you have, according to your test, an alkalinity of 0 (kH = 0). KH is the measure of carbonate ions, which happen to buffer the water to a higher pH. Before you do anything, remember that the pH additives in a bottle are prone to produceing short term solutions with large pH swings. Assuming you have used a quality liquid test kit, you need to know the pH and alkalinity (KH) of your tap water. If you don't have a quality liquid FW test kit, they are about $15 online.
pH is an important parameter. Not the actual value most of the time, but that it is stable for your fish. A pH of 6 with no KH sounds like a set up of pH swings. I don't know if fish do well in a pH that low, or if its possible to have a good biofilter at that pH. The real question is how it got that way. Is it your tap water? Or did the tank start out different and then have a pH and KH crash?
Ok, your pH is low because you have, according to your test, an alkalinity of 0 (kH = 0). KH is the measure of carbonate ions, which happen to buffer the water to a higher pH. Before you do anything, remember that the pH additives in a bottle are prone to produceing short term solutions with large pH swings. Assuming you have used a quality liquid test kit, you need to know the pH and alkalinity (KH) of your tap water. If you don't have a quality liquid FW test kit, they are about $15 online.
pH is an important parameter. Not the actual value most of the time, but that it is stable for your fish. A pH of 6 with no KH sounds like a set up of pH swings. I don't know if fish do well in a pH that low, or if its possible to have a good biofilter at that pH. The real question is how it got that way. Is it your tap water? Or did the tank start out different and then have a pH and KH crash?
I'm glad you came here Robin. The people here really want to help you. I hate to be so blunt (I don't know how old you are), but the first thing you need to do is find out what pH means. It doesn't make sense to measure something if you don't understand what the measurement means.
If you told your lfs that your pH was zero, and they sold you chemicals to correct it, they should be reported to the Better Business Bureau. At the very least, they owe you new fish.
I suggest you read some of the water chemistry articles in this forum. Then come back and ask any questions you might have.
HTH
If you told your lfs that your pH was zero, and they sold you chemicals to correct it, they should be reported to the Better Business Bureau. At the very least, they owe you new fish.
I suggest you read some of the water chemistry articles in this forum. Then come back and ask any questions you might have.
HTH
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