pH Adjustment for new (?) tank.

[rbflapjack]

I have a tank about four months old (thru cycling) and the fish seem to be doing fine. I have platys, tetras, corys and otos. I have never tested the pH until recently. When I tested it using the API drops, I get a high pH. I don't know exactly how high because the test kit I have only goes up to 7.6. The fish seem to be fine but the stuff I read said that I should be closer to 7.0. I started adjusting the pH according to the directions. I made one adjustment every 24 hours. After three days I still saw no change in tank pH. I checked my tap water and it came out with the same high pH. I use Prime as a water conditioner and do a PWT every week. On the morning of the fourth day and found that one black skirt tetra and one neon tetra had died so I didn't do any more pH adjustments. This was a week ago. The tank pH is still above 7.6 but the fish seem fine. Should I worry? It seems everywhere I go, everyone says that pH is very important to monitor, but there is no point in me testing it anymore if I am not going to make a correction. For now, I am going with the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Any thoughts/advice would be great. Thanks.

 

[rich311k]

A steady PH is far more important than a perfect PH. Just leave it alone as you have decided to do.

 

[jersysman]

Just go for the steady ph. The reason that most of those products that try to lower ph only work for a little while is because the kh of the water always draws the ph back to where it should be. One can try until they are blue in the face, but all those products usually do is put more chemicals in your water. You said your fish were doing fine. That would be all I would care about.

 

[TomK2]

Another vote for not trying to alter your tap pH. Many fish you buy from your LFS will be captive raised fish, born and raised in water vastly different from the species native habitat. Even if wild caught, by the time you get them home in your tank they have adapted to local water conditions.

 

[Zagz]

Swings in ph when trying to acheive "perfect" ph cause more stress on the fish than the ph does. Keeping it stable is key. Most fish are acclimated to the water in your area by the time you get them as Tom mentioned.

 

[locorosa]

've had Tetras for a year now and they have always been in 7.6 PH. All are healthy and happy.