ph problems
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
missileman
Aquarium Advice FINatic
What is your PH and what is the PH of your tap water?
In general anywhere between 6 and 8 are ok as long as it is stable and doesn't change much.
IMO it is best to try to stay close to your tap water PH because that is the direction it will want to go every time you do a water change.
My PH is around 7.4 and stable and the same as my tap.
In general anywhere between 6 and 8 are ok as long as it is stable and doesn't change much.
IMO it is best to try to stay close to your tap water PH because that is the direction it will want to go every time you do a water change.
My PH is around 7.4 and stable and the same as my tap.
Floyd R Turbo
Aquarium Advice Addict
There can be many factors that affect pH:
What kind of decor do you have in the tank?
Do you have live plants?
Do you use CO2?
Do you have airstones?
How much surface movement of the water do you have?
How long has the tank been running?
How many fish are in it, and how often do you feed?
Some of these might help pin the issue down...along with the tap pH. Mine is over 8.8, but my 55 stabilizes out around 7.2-7.5, and I effectively change at least 25% of the water each week.
High CO2 can cause low pH, usually tap water is low because it is O2 starved, so if you let some sit out for 48 hours it will test higher (not ours, of course), so if you have an open-air top and a lot of surface water movement, combined with airstones, your pH will go up over time.
I added driftwood to my tank and the pH dropped below 7 within a few weeks, so I pointed my jets toward the surface to create some chop, then removed the plastic strip connected to the back of my glass hood and replaced it with a piece of egg crate to let fresh air in, and the pH has come back up. I suppose if you did the opposite, that would lower the pH.
But like missleman said, you're probably OK as long as it's stable. But it helps to know your water source. Ours has many issues, like ammonia spikes (LFS reported 3ppm one day) and phosphate off the chart, in addition to the constantly high pH. Because of the phosphate, I have algae issues and no idea what my hardness/CO2 level are.
What kind of decor do you have in the tank?
Do you have live plants?
Do you use CO2?
Do you have airstones?
How much surface movement of the water do you have?
How long has the tank been running?
How many fish are in it, and how often do you feed?
Some of these might help pin the issue down...along with the tap pH. Mine is over 8.8, but my 55 stabilizes out around 7.2-7.5, and I effectively change at least 25% of the water each week.
High CO2 can cause low pH, usually tap water is low because it is O2 starved, so if you let some sit out for 48 hours it will test higher (not ours, of course), so if you have an open-air top and a lot of surface water movement, combined with airstones, your pH will go up over time.
I added driftwood to my tank and the pH dropped below 7 within a few weeks, so I pointed my jets toward the surface to create some chop, then removed the plastic strip connected to the back of my glass hood and replaced it with a piece of egg crate to let fresh air in, and the pH has come back up. I suppose if you did the opposite, that would lower the pH.
But like missleman said, you're probably OK as long as it's stable. But it helps to know your water source. Ours has many issues, like ammonia spikes (LFS reported 3ppm one day) and phosphate off the chart, in addition to the constantly high pH. Because of the phosphate, I have algae issues and no idea what my hardness/CO2 level are.
13 fish in my 55, feed little amounts 2 times a day, no co2 no live plants, mopani wood, rocks, sand for substrate, a lot of surface movement, stronger currents lots of o2, its a cichlid tank. i think i might add a piece of bogwood to bring it down.
Sharkrocket72
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
did you let the water from your faucet settle overnight before testing the pH?
to get an accurate reading you must let the water sit overnight to "offgas" any CO2 in the water.
if you did wait to take the reading, then that is weird for the tank pH and faucet pH to be that different.
to get an accurate reading you must let the water sit overnight to "offgas" any CO2 in the water.
if you did wait to take the reading, then that is weird for the tank pH and faucet pH to be that different.
Floyd R Turbo
Aquarium Advice Addict
Most Cichlids like high pH - check Aqualand Pets Plus and look up your cichlids, they should be on there, it will state on there what pH they like, as well as lots of other good info. This is a great website for reference on a lot of other issues as well, it's a Des Moines LFS that has been aroudn for quite a while. Des Moines pH is also high, 8-9 range, and strongly buffered so it stays that way, and this store has great cichlids and tons of them.
I would think your water is fine, no reason to worry about getting it to 7...
I would think your water is fine, no reason to worry about getting it to 7...
missileman
Aquarium Advice FINatic
All of my Tanks usually stay around 7.4 including my Cichlid tank and they are thriving.
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