unable to keep ph up

[rickyg78]

So I have a 20 gallon long tank my reading are good for except my Ph. It is extremely acidic. I bought a ph drop test kit and I test my water source and my water source has a 7.4 ph but my aquarium water is like 6.0 or worse. My fish are fine and keep swimming and active but my ph worries me any reason as to why it is low? It has a aqua filter 10-20, 5-15 , top fin 10. And fish are 2 dwarf gouramis and 4 zebra danios and 4 rasboras

 

[war-master]

buy death sea coral. The calsium on it will raise the PH. Just one about 4 inch diameter for your tank.

 

[armymp327]

curious to why your PH drops by so much once in the tank, can you get some tap water in a cup or something at let it sit out overnight and then test the PH?

also do you use any peat moss, have lots of driftwood, or inject Co2?

Edit: allowing the water sit out for at least 24 hours will allow it to degas (stirring occasionally through out the day helps) and that will give you your tap waters true PH.

 

[rickyg78]

I have a lot of plastic plants and decoration from petsmart. My filters all have carbon. Nothing else?

 

[armymp327]

also how are you testing the PH, is this a liquid test kit or test strips?

 

[rickyg78]

I bought the api liquid ph test from petsmart. I didn't buy the whole kit because my water is good except the Ph.

 

[armymp327]

hmm well only thing i can think of is to do what i said earlier and let the tap water sit out for 24 hours and test it again, that should give you your actual PH

maybe it will drop to 6.0 and that will explain why your tank water is that low (low being a relative term since some fish love it that low like tetras and anglefish)

now for raising the ph if thats what you want to do, i cant answer since i have hard water (9dkh) and a ph of 8.2 lol.