Ph drops significantly...what is going on? (Update)

[Jchillin]

The test kit is brand new (came with the 75 gal). Water (25%) is changed weekly with gravel vac's (cliff is a poop machine). Filter is only maintained monthly (same schedule since I began) I will either rinse the sponge, or clean out the HOB in alternate months.

Wait...just thought of something...newly purchased doesn't necessarily mean the kit itself is new...there is no date on the packaging.

 

[greenmaji]

is there a date on the bottle of reactant?

 

[Jchillin]

Hmm...on bottom: 59A1198. States that is the lot number. I guess this bottle is actually *shudders* 7 years old...

 

[greenmaji]

LIKE MINE!! LOL.. granted Ive had mine a long time! sounds like we are both in the market for test kits

 

[Jchillin]

Well, to be sure that this kit is totally ineffective, I tested the tap and got the same result...of all the lousy *beep* (no profanity used...just venting).

 

[Jchillin]

I downloaded the results of the latest NYC water tests and found that NYC water is soft, extremely so. 3dh is the approximate value according to the test chart.

I got my new test kit and tested...it's still @ 2/3 dh. Tested my mom-in-law's (she doesn't live far from me) and it's the same result.

So, although my water's ph out of the tap is @ 7.2/7.4, the kh will continously lower the ph.

I then tried to discover what is the common denominator between the three tanks (my 30 gal and 75 gal - which maintains a ph of 7.2 and my mom-in-law, which has the same ph as my 30 gal). BTW - Her's is a goldfish tank.

My 30 gal has a small piece of driftwood, the 75 gal has 4 pieces, three of them being quite large. The wood in the 30 gal has been there for several months and has been gnawed on constantly by both the sailfin and the 2 ABN's and is now 6 months old. My mom-in-law has no wood. We both have a large squash ball sized apple snail. During this time, the ph in the 30 gal maintained a consistent 7.2 ph level (I test every week). I also have a ton of ramshorn snails in the 75 gal.

Based on this information, I believe that the only difference is the wood. Is it possible that my wood sustained my ph and is now ineffective?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

And I thought I was on to something there with the problem JC. It just seemed kind of coincidental. After removing the snails from my tank, the pH went back up and was stable. And it was only the tank with the HUGE apple snail.

 

[Jchillin]

I'm not discouting the snail at all Fishy. It is still a part of the common denominator's between the three tanks. I was really glad to see that the kh really wasn't the culprit in regard to buffering capacity...NYC just seems to really get rid of a lot of minerals and metals in the water (yummy) and no chloramines...just chlorine.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

It's all good JC. I guess it could be an experimental theory to work with. Setting up two tanks at the same time, then have 1 with snails and 1 without and seeing the effects on the water quality.

 

[chasgood]

Doing bigger water changes may help keep the water stable if calcium being used up is the problem.

 

[greenmaji]

I would try to buffer up the KH to 4 to at least take that out of the equation JC.. baking soda should do the trick.. the fact that it could possibly be less than 3 could make it the culprit..