Ph trouble

[smoutylad22]

The Ph levels in my tank have dropped for some reason. I got home from work this morning and a few of the fish were swimming at the surface. I did a large water change which seemed to sort things out.

I got up this afternoon and checked on the fish and they were doing the same. I checked the ph and it was reading 6.8, now my tap water comes out at 7.5. What could be causing this drop in ph?



On the left is the tap water and on the right is the tank water.


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[PassengerTN]

Low KH (calcium carbonate) can cause pH to drop. It can also crash an established cycle

Jesse

 

[PNWaquarist]

Tank pH values tend to drop over time. This is often due to waste products from beneficial bacterial and can also be due to tannins leaching from bogwood. You can counteract this with weekly water changes.

 

[ScotJudd]

Agree with above, check your Kh. I have lived all over the UK and water hardness varies terrifically. In Swindon the water was so hard the kettle furred up in a week Now I'm in West Yorkshire where the water comes off the Moors and the Kh and Gh is almost zero. I add bicarbonate of soda to all new water to raise Kh from zero to six degrees and my Ph is stable. Without it my Ph drops quickly as Kh is a Ph buffer. I use Equalibrium to raise Gh to six degrees but that's more for my plants, snails and shrimp. Test your tap water.


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[candymancan]

PH also drops when your have lack of oxygen in the tank that's why people who use CO2 tend to have lower PH... If your fish are at the surface and acting weird.. it isn't the PH... You have low oxygen in your tank.


You sure your water is 7.6, because its probably higher that kit your using is regular PH kit have you used the high range PH tester ?


But if I were you I would turn on an air stone or turn a pump or spray bar to agitate the surface..

 

[PNWaquarist]

PH also drops when your have lack of oxygen in the tank that's why people who use CO2 tend to have lower PH...

People who use CO2 have lower pH because CO2 dissolves in water and hydrates to form carbonic acid.

 

[Mebbid]

In short, you need more surface agitation. Drop the water level a bit to cause more surface flow from your filter. Either that, or add an airstone.

The fish gasping at the surface is indicative of an impairment of oxygen intake. They are trying to get at the oxygen rich surface water. Assuming you don't have a positive ammonia reading (ammonia burns the gills) then there's not enough surface agitation.

What are your parameters at?

 

[smoutylad22]

A quick update for you having taken everyone's advice, I've added an venturi air diffuser to my juwel internal filter which is creating more surface agitation and also firing tiny bubbles into the water. Fish seem a lot happier and acting normal. My water parameters are

Ph - 7.5
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 20ppm

Thanks everyone


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[Anders247]

Sounds good, glad you have this resolved.