What could be making my ph high

[Tommy10]

There a fiz tabs at my local Walmart called jungle correct ph tabs, they worked for me and only cost like $4 for 6

 

[Andy Sager]

Sounds like something in your decor (shells, coral etc.) or gravel is calcium based and causing the rise. Check all rocks and gravel ( as previously recommended) for calcium. Proceed from there.
Also, heavy aeration can also cause PH to rise. Make sure your "splashing" is kept to a "normal" amount.

Hope this helps

 

[steph101]

I shall test the gravel with the vinegar tonight and ill post what happens

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[Caliban07]

Tested water again 4 hours later and ph reading again of 8.2
Just as I thought I fixed t by doing a water change, the ph went back up in a few hours. Not sure what to do. Should I drain my tank and re rinse all my gravel and decorations before I start the cycle? Or shall I just go through with the cycle and hope ot brings my ph down?

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Have a look on your water suppliers website to find out what they say the pH should be. When testing tap water ph you should let it sit for 24 hours before testing to get a true reading.

You can lower ph by using bog wood and Pete moss in the filter. Check the ph after you have cycled the tank as acidity is one of the things the bacterial nitrification process creates.

 

[Ryan24]

It could be due too your substrate and also do you have rock , Dw ?

 

[mrvincent]

You must choose species that fit your tap ph.

 

[tnfinfan]

The vinegar trick really is the way to go for determining if it's the gravel or rocks. Fizzing means it's reacting and that item shouldn't be in the tank unless you have high pH fish (cichlids) or saltwater. I'm not sure if you've tried testing your tap water after 24 hours in a cup but that's also a great idea since it eliminates any confusion over whether it's the tank or the water.

 

[steph101]

What sort of decor is it just to check?

I'd take half a handful of gravel, put in a small cup and put white vinegar on and see if you get any fine bubbling or fizzing. I tend to cover the gravel so I can see the bubbles but up to you and your kitchen suppilies

Cycling / established tank will tend to lower ph, hard to say how much. My tap is 8 and tank with driftwood is 7.3.

I would tend not to worry about it (usually the need is to get ph/kh up) but would love to know what is causing it.

I did the vinegar and gravel test. I saw very small bubbles floating to the top but not sure if they could of been air bubbles? The tiny pieces of gravel were slightly moving as the bubbles came up. Does this mean my gravel is no good? On the packet ot said the gravel was ph natural 7.0 and it was from Pisces natural shop

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[Delapool]

I did the vinegar and gravel test. I saw very small bubbles floating to the top but not sure if they could of been air bubbles? The tiny pieces of gravel were slightly moving as the bubbles came up. Does this mean my gravel is no good? On the packet ot said the gravel was ph natural 7.0 and it was from Pisces natural shop

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Some bubbles would be expected at the start from air but ongoing sounds like a reaction to the vinegar. Unless your decor is some sort of rock. But from the description above it does sound like your gravel is the cause. The gravel moving sounds a vigorous reaction. You could test a few pieces of gravel one at a time, if it doesn't react than it might just be the silt fines which you could try washing out more. Also if you are able to ask at the shop if they know? I couldn't find out much on the web site.

It is still useable - it's just a matter of selecting fish that like that range of ph/kh from your tap and tank. Unfortunately we don't know how long this buffering effect will last for - something to bear in mind.

 

[steph101]

Some bubbles would be expected at the start from air but ongoing sounds like a reaction to the vinegar. Unless your decor is some sort of rock. But from the description above it does sound like your gravel is the cause. The gravel moving sounds a vigorous reaction. You could test a few pieces of gravel one at a time, if it doesn't react than it might just be the silt fines which you could try washing out more. Also if you are able to ask at the shop if they know? I couldn't find out much on the web site.

It is still useable - it's just a matter of selecting fish that like that range of ph/kh from your tap and tank. Unfortunately we don't know how long this buffering effect will last for - something to bear in mind.

I put a small handful of the gravel into a cup of my tap water and im letting it sit for 24 hours so I can test the ph. Is this a good idea to determine further?

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[Delapool]

Sounds good - worth a look.

 

[steph101]

Sounds good - worth a look.

Ok I think ive found thr problem! I saw some white stuff forming on the glass and I thought id try to wipe it of with a sponge. The sponge seemed fine to me - it had no cleaning products on it just a regular household sponge from coles. I have just read on the back of the packet it says "do not use for aquarium cleaning" I think this is what is causing me problems as I tested the gravel, decor in water and ph reading is 7.2. Anyone have any ideas on how to fix this problem? Do I do 100% water change and wipe my glass? If so what do I wipe the glass with?

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[enrgizerbunny]

Good job!

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[Delapool]

Bit odd, what size is your tank?

Have you been using the sponge from the very start?

 

[steph101]

Bit odd, what size is your tank?

Have you been using the sponge from the very start?

18 gallon.
I used it when I very first set up my tank (3 days ago)

I have now cleaned tank with vingear and done a 100 per cent water change, rinised out all my decor and gravel and filter. Ph is now reading 7.3 so is come down alot. Water looks much clearer. I really think the sponge caused it. It must have some type of chemical in it hense the message do not use in aquariums. Thank you so much for your help

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[Delapool]

Wow - thanks for the reply. Love to know what was in there.

 

[gilpi]

Ive just started up a new tank and the ph is reading 8.3 yet my tap water is 7.0 so there is something in the tank that is making my ph go up. I have no fish yet as i still need to cycle it. Things in my tank are: 2 live plants, 2 pieces of decor, fake plant, black gravel, heater, filter. Water is also cloudy but is slowly going away.

Don't worry so much about your ph, most fish adapt and do not use any chemicals to raise or lower your ph, it's more important to have steady readings than ph swings. What fish are you planning to get? My water is close to yours, a little over 7 out of the tap then it rises to just below 8 and I have kept angels and discus for years.

 

[gilpi]

Ok I think ive found thr problem! I saw some white stuff forming on the glass and I thought id try to wipe it of with a sponge. The sponge seemed fine to me - it had no cleaning products on it just a regular household sponge from coles. I have just read on the back of the packet it says "do not use for aquarium cleaning" I think this is what is causing me problems as I tested the gravel, decor in water and ph reading is 7.2. Anyone have any ideas on how to fix this problem? Do I do 100% water change and wipe my glass? If so what do I wipe the glass with? Sent from my GT-I9197 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

I'm not trying to be hard on you, please take this as advice, what is it that you have to clean on a 3 day old tank?
And after all your clean up and your tank starts to cycle again, leave the tank alone, it will do its thing all on its own but it takes time.

 

[Caliban07]

I'm not trying to be hard on you, please take this as advice, what is it that you have to clean on a 3 day old tank?
And after all your clean up and your tank starts to cycle again, leave the tank alone, it will do its thing all on its own but it takes time.

Most people rinse a new tank before they fill it. Its most likely to have collected dust while its been sat on the shelf. I would probably use a soft cloth to wipe it down whilst rinsing it with warm water, have done many of times.

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[gilpi]

Most people rinse a new tank before they fill it. Its most likely to have collected dust while its been sat on the shelf. I would probably use a soft cloth to wipe it down whilst rinsing it with warm water, have done many of times. Sent from my SM-T210 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

My bad, I thought the OP meant he wiped the glass 3 days after it was already set up and running.