Help with pH!!

[nnacho528]

The pH in my tank keeps dropping whats causing it!?

 

[xawen]

Can you give a bit more information? It seems there are a number of things that can cause pH drops.

Is your tank cycled, how old is it? What is the pH? What is the pH from your tap? Do you know if you have soft water?

 

[ejaramillo01]

More info is needed

Agree, we need more info:
Is droping from what to what?
Is the tank cycled?
Ornaments like driftwood?
How often do you do water changes? What water do you use?additives?
Last but important, Water quality such as Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, and hardness??

Then we can give you an opinion

 

[nnacho528]

The pH is dropping from like 7.1 to about 6.2. The tank has cycled and had been running for about a year. My tap water is 7.1 and after a couple of days the pH drops. I don't have any driftwood, but I do have one real plant, I think its a mini sword plant. I change the water 25% a week (using a siphon, scrubbing the sides, and adding ammonia detox and stress coat. Every Wednesday I do a 10% water change. Every 2-3 weeks the filter cartridge (Medium Aqueon Filter Pad) is changed. My tank has 0 ammonia, and my LFS told me that the water was fine so I assume that nirtrates and nitrites are ok. Im not sure how to tell if my water is hard or soft. Thanks for all your help!

 

[ejaramillo01]

The pH is dropping from like 7.1 to about 6.2. The tank has cycled and had been running for about a year. My tap water is 7.1 and after a couple of days the pH drops. I don't have any driftwood, but I do have one real plant, I think its a mini sword plant. I change the water 25% a week (using a siphon, scrubbing the sides, and adding ammonia detox and stress coat. Every Wednesday I do a 10% water change. Every 2-3 weeks the filter cartridge (Medium Aqueon Filter Pad) is changed. My tank has 0 ammonia, and my LFS told me that the water was fine so I assume that nirtrates and nitrites are ok. Im not sure how to tell if my water is hard or soft. Thanks for all your help!

That is a big swing! For a couple of days.
My only opinion is that the water is too soft, saying so, it is not having enough salts (buffer) to hold the ph. I would suggest you to check the ph of your tap water in a bucket, then let it sit for 24 hours and check again to see if drops.. The we take it from there..
Last question? How are you measuring the ph?

 

[Fishnova]

You don't need to change the filter pad until it is literally falling apart.

Throwing out your filter pad means you are throwing out your bb aswell. (Beneficial bacteria)

 

[nnacho528]

ok thanks but after 2 weeks it looks disgustinly green

 

[Fishnova]

What Size tank do you have? And what kind of fish are you keeping in that aquarium?

Try not to overfeed.

oIf you are having green water, I'm assuming it is an algae bloom. Flourish Excel can help with that, and your sword will benefit from the additional carbon.

These are my suggestions; even though I am relatively new to the hobby, I have read a lot of good things from dosing Excel.

 

[nnacho528]

i think its in my signature, can u see it?

 

[nnacho528]

If not its a 20 gal tank with 6 danios, 2 mollies, a swordtail, 2 tetras, and the gourami.

 

[nnacho528]

I use the API pH testing kit that has chemicals to raise and lower the pH, but they dont hold and after a few days its back to yellow (acid) again.

 

[ejaramillo01]

ok thanks but after 2 weeks it looks disgustinly green

I missed that part, fishnova is correct, you should never change the filter cartridge, just rinsed in TANK WATER every week or two, just to remove the extra gunk, but there is where the majority of your good bacteria resides.... Even as disgusting as it looks like, just rinsed....

 

[ejaramillo01]

I use the API pH testing kit that has chemicals to raise and lower the pH, but they dont hold and after a few days its back to yellow (acid) again.

Well these are my suggestions:
1. Do the test with the tap water to see if after 24 hours drops from 7.6 to 6.2
2. Never replace the filter cartridge, just rinsed.
3. Buy ( if possible ) a API kit to measure water hardness..
4. Don't use the pH adjusters ( from API ), these just create more problems for the pH, plus fluctuations in the pH are really bad for the fish, the fish will adapt well to almost any STABLE pH, even the 6.2, as long as it not changing.... So don't try to adjust the pH with the drops.

Let's see from there.....

 

[Fishnova]

Yes, your fish will do fine in stable Ph. Don't use Ph altering chemicals. I think its just business trying to milk your wallet..

 

[nnacho528]

I just read up on using crushed coral, how much should I put in?

 

[ejaramillo01]

I just read up on using crushed coral, how much should I put in?

I don't know, I have not used myself, but I read that acts as a buffer and works well.

 

[Koikid88]

Yes, your fish will do fine in stable Ph. Don't use Ph altering chemicals. I think its just business trying to milk your wallet..

Agreed. Don't mess around with your PH via. chemicals.

There's something going on in your set up that's causing this. The water should NOT drop that much in PH for no reason in such a short time.

 

[nnacho528]

I just put some coral in so I hope that raises the pH. A couple days ago I tried the coral in a bucket of water from my aquarium, and it brought the pH from 6.2 to 7.2 in 5 days! I hope this works!!

 

[BigE94]

Hello all, pretty new to the indoor aquarium scene. I have a 36 gal tank with 2 grown red cap orandas and a baby, brought them in for the winter. My tank is cycling so Im doing lots of pwc's and have the ammonia and nitrites under control but the PH seems a bit low. It hovers at about 6.8 according to the API Master test kit. If I attempt to raise the PH with crushed coral, a) will it work and b) will it be nullified by pwc's? I have a Fluval 205 canister filter. I have seeded it with micobe lift. Also does the microbe lift disappear with the pwc's or does it keep itself in the filter media?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Hello all, pretty new to the indoor aquarium scene. I have a 36 gal tank with 2 grown red cap orandas and a baby, brought them in for the winter. My tank is cycling so Im doing lots of pwc's and have the ammonia and nitrites under control but the PH seems a bit low. It hovers at about 6.8 according to the API Master test kit. If I attempt to raise the PH with crushed coral, a) will it work and b) will it be nullified by pwc's? I have a Fluval 205 canister filter. I have seeded it with micobe lift. Also does the microbe lift disappear with the pwc's or does it keep itself in the filter media?

Hi. It's usually recommend you start your own thread.
A pH of 6.8 is perfectly fine for your goldfish. No need to adjust it at all.