Help with PH

[ryansmom]

My Ph is really low below 6 out of the tap have been adding ph up before water changes to new water. I gather from reading this is bad what to do I have a sail fin a rainbow shark 3 silver dollars apleco and a pictus cat ,+ 1 pot belly molly in a 55 gallon. My ph in the tank now 7 but like i said have been using ph up to get it there.

 

[justrelax]

what is your kh? a stable pH is almost more important than any other factor. i'm not sure of the individual needs of your particular fish, but a lot of times if your pH is stable you can keep fish in a different pH than they are used to provided you acclimate them VERY slowly. you're right that chemical pH alteration is not good. i would get it stable without any additives, keep an eye on the fish for stress and see what happens.

 

[ryansmom]

My kh is moderate to low and I dont know how to bring it up.

 

[justrelax]

there may be a solution to this that one of the experts here can answer, but i had a buddy with the same problem (unstable kh) and he ended up having to use ro/di. let's see what others have to say...

 

[hulkamaniac]

Crushed coral is the best way to raise Ph is what I'm told.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

What type of filtration are you using? You can put a bag of crushed coral in the filter to raise the level. If your pH is that low, the hardness is probably low also. Some use baking soda but you have to keep dosing that. With crushed coral you just put it in the tank and every so often check the pH to make sure it is not decreasing. It is also a slow and natural method.

 

[ryansmom]

how much will the package say Im using a whisper power filter

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Does your filter have a fillable slot where you put loose carbon? If not, you can add a bag of crushed coral to the tank (I'd put it by the filter intake tube) and hide it behind a rock or plants. And by bag I mean maybe a cup or so.

 

[tropicfishman]

even though your PH is incredibly low, its stability you want, so some buffering media may be needed, such as crushed coral, which has very good PH raising factors, steer clear of PH altering chemicals though, they tend to kill fish from the rapid Ph changes and the fact they are only a tempory fix and are unstable at keeping a solid PH HTH

 

[Lonewolfblue]

1 handful of crushed coral is about all you need. If it doesn't fit in your filter, you can even place it on your substrate. If it doesn't match, then you can place a small pile behind an ornament or something, where it's hidden. Then when it comes time, you can scoop some of it out and replace with new, about every 2-3 months, or possibly longer. I have a small handful in my filter in my 75G, and that's all I need for a good kh and stable ph. My kh is stable at 100, was at 60 before. ph was stable before as well, but to get good CO2 levels, had to really drive the ph down. Now with the little higher kh, don't have to drive the ph as far down.

 

[tropicfishman]

I never have had to use crushed coral, where do you find it? are we talking the sam,e type coral thats in salt tanks?

 

[hulkamaniac]

I never have had to use crushed coral, where do you find it? are we talking the sam,e type coral thats in salt tanks?

Exactly. That's the stuff.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

You buy it at the lfs in the saltwater section.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Also, most places only sell it in 20lb bags, which is more than is needed, lol. I have a 20lb bag just sitting now, lol. So if you decide you would like to get some, I can send a 2 or 3 pounds, lol. A couple years supply, lol. As for now, I have more than enough to last 2 lifetimes or longer, lol.

 

[ryansmom]

Thanks so much for all the advice have learned alot from here.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Just remember that if using crushed coral, it's not instant. It was 2 weeks before I started seeing my kh rise, and rose over a week to a week and a half period til it stabalized. So no worries about the fish either, as it's a more natural approach at raising the kh if needed.

 

[Resurgent]

And it's ok to use in a freshwater tank?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Yes. I used to use it in all of my African tanks until we moved to a city with a high pH.