I moved to a new home in October, and therefore a new source of water. Since that time I've been unable to stabilize the PH of my tank. My water in both former and current locations is from an artesian well. Both have filtration systems for excess iron and magnesium. In addition, the new location has a water softener and charcoal filter. The water tests high PH from the tap but I add PH Down to balance it before adding it to the tank. The water will test neutral for a day then zoom up to very alkaline the next day. Adding a few drops of PH Down zonks the PH down to dramatically acid. It's frustrating to say the least. I am getting big algae blooms. I'm doing 25% water changes every 2-3 days to try to control the algae problem, and keep the PH stable, to no avail. I have one outside spigot that doesn't go through the water softener and maybe that's the answer. I haven't tried it yet because it is unheated. The research I've done on softened water in aquariums doesn't highlight any problems, but it would be great to know what others have experienced. Hard water seems to be cited as causing more issues. My next course of action is to confirm that my water softener is actually working! This is only a ten gallon tank, but I'm setting up a 30 gal. and don't wish to proceed without a resolution to this problem. The room gets morning light but no direct sunlight on the tank. The LED aquarium light is on 10 hrs. a day. Hope someone has some experience with this problem.
PH Balance Problem
- Thread starter Mr.White
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Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hi Mr white.
We need to know what type of filtration is being used for the magnesium and iron. Water softeners replace calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions at a ratio of about 3:1 in favour of sodium. I don't think this is ideal for an aquarium.
What exactly is the 'high' ph? Fish can do well in a wide range of ph's. The best bet if you remove the softener and cut your hard tap water with reverse osmosis water say 50% RO to 50% tap.
The algae issue at this point is likely unrelated to the water conditions alone but more so the light. Plants can help with algae problems. Do you have many fish? What size tank is this? We could do with more information [emoji846]
The water Ph is 8.2. Ten gallon tank. Five fish, tetras, catfish, algae eater. Iron filter uses air entrainment, no chemicals. R/O filters suggest that a water softener is a good thing to have as they remove the calcium previous to the R/O, making the remaining filtration easier. If there's a problem with the softener I can go around it to see. I suspect it's not working as hard water is generally higher in PH. I'm looking for RO water to buy as I would like to know if it makes a difference before I invest in a system. I will be stepping up to a 30 gal tank that will be planted but need to solve the problems first. The only change in the tank since my former location is the water. Same fish, similar lighting, same tank furniture. I'm just learning about RO water, and think that could be the answer for the issue. Thanks for your suggestions.
Khuligirl93
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2013
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Have you seen any negative effects on your fish?
My parents' house has a water softener and I used it in my tank with no problems for years. In my opinion, people worry unnecessarily about pH in freshwater setups. There are many other water quality issues that are much more likely to cause harm to your fish.
But if you are determined to alter your water, mixing it with RO is the way to go, not using pH adjusting chemicals. As you've seen, they are only a temporary fix before the water reverts to its natural chemistry. This fluctuation is much more stressful on the fish than if it was left at a consistent 8.2.
I would also recommend putting your light on a timer for 8 hours max. That probably has something to do with the algae, 10 hours is a long time.
My parents' house has a water softener and I used it in my tank with no problems for years. In my opinion, people worry unnecessarily about pH in freshwater setups. There are many other water quality issues that are much more likely to cause harm to your fish.
But if you are determined to alter your water, mixing it with RO is the way to go, not using pH adjusting chemicals. As you've seen, they are only a temporary fix before the water reverts to its natural chemistry. This fluctuation is much more stressful on the fish than if it was left at a consistent 8.2.
I would also recommend putting your light on a timer for 8 hours max. That probably has something to do with the algae, 10 hours is a long time.
