Water Chemistry problems...

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PK Tester

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Jan 4, 2004
Messages
501
Location
Ohio
Hey everyone.

I wanted to ask your views on how I should handle my PH issues.

My tap water's PH is about 8.3 ~ 8.5 .

I recently had a PH crash in an aquarium, and now, after about a week. I have got the PH back to an acceptable level.

Now, out of the tap my KH is 3.

Right now, in my tank, my KH is 3 and my PH is around 7.2.

Is there any advice on keeping these levels regular? I want my PH atleast near 7.

Would the best aproach be to only change water around 20 - 25% one time a week? Or, should I change the water say...Monday and Friday, and try to keep this as balanced as possible?

I think I'm going to head out and buy some different dechlorinator. My dechlorinator removes "Heavy metals" and I'm wondering if it could be messing with my KH level? Anyone know? It is Jungle Lab's "Start Right" chlorine and chlormaime remover.

Anyhow, any advice would be nice :)
 
Well, crushed coral would increase your KH and your pH, but with enough of it your pH could go up towards 7.8 . If I were having trouble with pH declines, I would rather have a higher stable pH than a lower unstable one. You could add crushed coral to your gravel or to a media spot in your filter. It would be more gradual and stable than trying to add baking soda or other bicarbonate source, I beleive.

I have tap water with high KH, around 6 to 7, and have a stable pH of 7.6 to 7.8 . KH is a measure of alkalinity, or bicarb essentially, and bicarb buffers the pH higher.
 
TomK2 said:
Well, crushed coral would increase your KH and your pH, but with enough of it your pH could go up towards 7.8 . If I were having trouble with pH declines, I would rather have a higher stable pH than a lower unstable one. You could add crushed coral to your gravel or to a media spot in your filter. It would be more gradual and stable than trying to add baking soda or other bicarbonate source, I beleive.

I have tap water with high KH, around 6 to 7, and have a stable pH of 7.6 to 7.8 . KH is a measure of alkalinity, or bicarb essentially, and bicarb buffers the pH higher.

Thanks Tom, but the problem I have with this...that...the PH out of my tap is 8.2 ~ 8.5. I do not want to raise the PH at ALL...

I have done a lot of reading about this and it seems the best solution is regular water changes...I'm just trying to find out the EXACT amount of waterchanges haha.
 
try putting some tap water in a cup with a bubble stone in it, and wait overnight. (i think this applies here :oops: )
 
I bet your tap pH is high because it is low in CO2. Then when it aerates and equilibrates with the atmosphere it absorbs some CO2, and the pH goes down? Hard to imagine low KH water being that high in pH, but nothing is impossible. Low KH and low pH don't always have to be together. But I am thinking along those lines because your tank pH is so much lower than tap pH. krap101's tap water aeration experiment would verify this. If aerated tap pH is nearer the tank pH, you have your answer. I beleive you can let it sit out overnight and the CO2 should equilibrate without an airstone?

Then, if your pH instability is due to low KH, you are right. Frequent water changes would replenish buffering capacity, crushed coral would increase the buffering capacity but also the pH. Ultimately your answer will likely come from you. If you are doing water changes once a week and everything stabilizes, you will have your answer. If not, then you will know to do it more frequently or of more volume.

I doubt the water conditioner is upsetting your KH. KH is also known as alkalinity, a measure of the carbonate ions in your water.
 
Just a quick question PK. Did you read and understand Mark Lehrs' article oh pH stability? I provided the link in your previous post on the subject. :wink:
 
Hey guys, thanks for all the info.

Brian I read it, and I guess I understand it to a degree.

My tap water is just annoying. I will re-read the article, I just got upset with that former thread because of someone!

Thanks for the replies :)
 
Well...after letting water sit over-night...and checking it. It ends up my PH settles down to 7.5.

I still find this to be a little high. I wonder, Is it possible that it may drop anymore?

Here is what I do not like about all of this...I have been using a python...for a while now. Should I start letting my water sit, somehow, overnight? I mean...this is going to be difficult as I have no way of heating it or anything.

Or should I just stick with 15 - 20 % water changes weekly...or will this adversly affected the PH in my tanks?
 
Just use they python like you have been. match the tank temp as best you can, and pump it right into the tank. If your tap pH is higher and goes down overnight, it is a CO2 difference. The co2 will rapidly equilabrate, and the fish will be OK. In your aerated tank environment, I wouldn't worry about it. Use dechlor, of course.
 
Tom, thank you so much for all your helpfull replies!

Somthing seems to be eating the KH in my tank...Within two days the PH dropped about .2 ~ .3

The KH dropped about 1...I have no idea why this is happening!

It makes me so angry...Im going to have to search for some crushed coral I guess!
 
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