PH is to high please help ;o(

[cougargirl50]

I did a water change on Sunday like I normally do and then tested my parameters everything looks good except my PH. My PH tested 7.6 or higher. My test kit stops at 7.6. My fish are dying and that could be a good reason why. What is the easiest way to bring my PH back down to where it is supposed to be. It used to stay right around 7.2, so I don't know why its so high. Does anyone have any advice????

Thanks

 

[LittlePuff]

That's not the reason why your fish are dying. 7.6 is not way too high, that's a ggod number. Please don't try to change the pH, that will do more harm to your fish than a normal pH will.

Is this a new tank? Have you cycled it? What are your ammonia, nitrites and nitrates?


Kim

 

[odobenus]

LittlePuff is right, 7.6 is not terribly high. (That is what my pH is at, and my fish are just fine with it.) If you are still curious as to why the pH has gone up, I can think of a couple of things that might do it. Some rocks, I believe limestone is one of them, will leach minerals into your water, causing the pH to rise. Shells will do the same thing. I personally had my pH jump up right after medicating my tank. I could not find anything else different, so I am guessing that the meds caused the rise in pH.

To second LittlePuff again, don't mess with your pH. A sudden change or frequent swings are much, much worse than a less-than-ideal level.

good luck!

 

[koffee]

Lots of fish acclimate to a fair range of pH even higher than 7.6.

However, you said your test kit went up to 7.6. It is possible that your pH could be much higher and the kit just doesn't show it.

If you are worried about pH, you can take a sample to the LFS and ask them to do a high-range pH test. My high range kit tests 7.4 to 8.8. I rarely use it since I inject CO2, so I'm watching a 6.8-7.0 range.

Again, though, if your pH is rising slowly, the fish may adapt just fine. Unless you are keeping fish that are very picky about the pH, I would look to other reasons.

If your pH is constantly swinging, that would be more of an issue. Often it is not so much a matter of having "proper" numbers - it is all about having consistant numbers.

By the way, my Q tank has no CO2 injection, and our water is at least 7.5 if not closer to 8. My fish (Green Terror, Tiger Barbs) are fine with that. The LFS has a similar pH range, so I only have to worry about pH acclimation when I bring fish into my lower-pH CO2 tank.

 

[Jchillin]

Since your test actually hit the limit of it's ability, you may need to test with a hi-range ph test (these go up to 8.8). Since 7.6 isn't a problem, it may have been higher.

 

[cougargirl50]

Is this a new tank? Have you cycled it? What are your ammonia, nitrites and nitrates?

Kim

I don't consider it a new tank.
It is cycled.
My ammonia is 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 10

 

[malkore]

Well those parameters look good. Can you test for carbonate hardness? a pH change that doesn't have a corresponding change in carbonate hardness would be very odd.

How did you refill the tank after that last water change? a python/hose, or buckets?

A change of .4 in pH from the tap 'all the sudden' strikes me as strange, especially this time a year (some water companies change things as it gets colder/warmer...but we're mid-summer with stable temp ranges right now).

I suspect a contaminent got into the buckets used to refill. If it was a clean python/hose, then I'd suspect a contaminent entered via air or from your hands.

 

[cougargirl50]

I retested my PH and I got 7.6 up from the usual 7.2.
And I tested my PH HIGH or whatever that is and that is reading a 8.0

this sounds stupid but what test is the carbonate hardness test, all I have tests for is what comes in the Masters freshwater kit.

I use a python to drain and fill my tank that is the only thing I use on any water change.

So far I have lost:

1 sunburst platy
1 otto cat
2 balloon bellied mollies

so I have no idea what is going on, I took notice that I didn't have any trouble till I bought my 12 tetras could they be killing my other fish? IHNI that is why i'm asking.

 

[rich311k]

KH is a seperate test. You would have to buy it. It is only 5 dollars or so at Big Als. If I understand correctly last Sunday your PH was 7.2 this Sunday it was at least 7.6 and now it is 8.0.

Did you add any decorations or gravel or something, besides the tetras?

 

[cougargirl50]

nope just the tetras.

My PH has been 7.2 since I had my tanks.

Geesh my daughter just came upstairs and told me another fish died. So I just went down stairs and sure enough, my redwag sunburst platy is dead. Guess I will have to redue my signature again.

I am about to give up and tear it all down. My 20 gallon was much easier to have. I have no idea what is wrong.

That PH high test is 8.0 my regular ph test is 7.6

 

[koffee]

That PH high test is 8.0 my regular ph test is 7.6

I still think your pH test is reading "7.6 or higher" and not just 7.6 since that is the top range. Again, though, fish may acclimate to the high pH, especially if the LFS has similar water. But if the change is sudden, your fish won't acclimate fast enough if at all.

Rocks, coral, and substrate could all potentially raise the pH. Not all stuff will do that, of course. Have you added or changed any of that stuff recently? One approach might be to strip out whatever rocks and other hardscape you can.

Just keep in mind that if it is the sudden increase in pH that is killing fish, fixing this with a sudden decrease can do the same.

 

[SeaDana]

Did you add all the neons at once? Maybe adding 12 fish at once altered your tank...

 

[cougargirl50]

I didn't add any stones, rocks, coral or anything to my tank.
I added my neons a couple days apart. I called my local fish store that I normally deal with and they told me that, maybe what might be happening is that when I bought my neons they may of had an internal disease and when I added them to my tank depending on what disease the neons had, it spread to my other fish and that is what is killing them. I told her that when I found my otto cat there was no insides left to it at all. So she was thinking that, that could be why my fish are dying, could this be what the problem is?

She told me to treat it a couple days with a medicine called Aquasol for 4 to 5 days.

But I know alot of people are asking me if I added anything to my tank, I added nothing to my tank except for my neons.

 

[Devilishturtles]

I added my neons a couple days apart. I called my local fish store that I normally deal with and they told me that, maybe what might be happening is that when I bought my neons they may of had an internal disease and when I added them to my tank depending on what disease the neons had, it spread to my other fish and that is what is killing them.

I would have to venture a guess somewhere along these lines as well. If things were fine and peachy before you added the neons, it is VERY possible that they bought something with them into your tank. If you do suspect internal parasites (which, btw: are any of the fish looking listless, or starving? A caved in stomach maybe?) I would grab some medicated food (there are many anti-parasitic foods available), or a med such as metrodinazole.

Your otto likely had no insides left because it was probably eaten.

Also, it is quite odd that your pH has changed. Just for info, what kind of test kit are you using? I'm assuming the liquid test kit, versus a strip test kit. Do you use the caps that come on the test tubes, or do you use your fingers to seal the top of tubes when you shake?

Aquarisol(probably what you meant to say, not aquasol ) contains copper sulfate, and is probably going to do nothing to treat your fish if they do have internal parasites. Overdosing on copper in just the slightest ammount as well is more harmful than not treating at all. I would go for the medicated foods.

HTH

 

[cougargirl50]

I have the freshwater masters test kits. I don't like the strips.

And I use the caps that come with the kits, cause I know that when you use your finger instead of the caps it throws off your results.

As far as medicated food all I have here is that Pepso food. Could I try using that or do you recommend using something else.

And looking at the fish they look fine, the color in them is good, I didn't even know anything was wrong with them, they were eating just fine to, and swimming around was normal they weren't staying to one part of the aquarium or anything. I am totally lost on this one.

Thanks for all your advice that your giving though.

 

[Devilishturtles]

As far as medicated food all I have here is that Pepso food. Could I try using that or do you recommend using something else.

Pepso Food should be alright. I have never used it, but have heard of it working well to treat internal parasites. It also won't hurt the fish, even if this is not what is wrong with it. I don't see a way to go wrong here. 8) It should probably tell you on the package of the food, but you only want to feed the fish the pepso for a few days (3-4) and then return them to a normal diet afterwards.

Other than that, I'm lost as well. Everything seems to be going fine in your tank otherwise, besides your pH problem.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

How much water did you change? With the python, if you changed more than 20% and if your tap water is high ph, could be the reason. But don't worry, it's not too high, the fish will acclimate to it. Just remember, if you do small water changes, ph shouldn't move too much, but if you do large PWC's, it can change considerably. If you decide to add more fish, don't add chemicals to adjust the ph. You will be fine. And if ph movement bothers you, just do 20% PWC's. And remember to acclimate the fish before adding to the tank.

 

[Crusis]

That means your Ph is 8.0. There is only one Ph, just the first test only goes up to 7.6, and the other probably starts at 7.8. So, your Ph pegs the first test at 7.6 because it is actually 8.0.

A lot of people in here argue that Ph isn't as important as a STABLE Ph, which I agree with, but I don't think that means that Ph isn't important. Of course, regarding aquariums, a lot of people in here make me look like a complete noob.

I understand you have kid(s), I have three little girls myself. I have tanks on stands that are low, and I have to tape the lid shut so my 2 year old doesn't put Polly Pockets in for decorations. I don't know the ages of your kid(s), but is it possible that they put something in the tank? Something has changed that has raised your Ph from a good 7.2 to an 8.0. African Rift Lake cichlids like that Ph range.

The odd thing is that your 55 gallon should be more stable than your 20 gallon I'd think. More water to buffer any changing factors.

I sure hope figure out why this is happening to you.

Did you change your water source for your water changes? That's another thing that varies Ph widely in my house. Ph from the outside spigots is 8.2, from the tap is 7.4 (water softener) and from the RO/DI unit it is 6.8-7.0.

Good luck! Post if you figure something out.