Ph question?
- Thread starter LuckyWanderer
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- May 24, 2011
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- 5,011
Lucky...
Unless you're into keeping and breeding rare species of fish, you don't need to worry about the pH, hardness or any of the chemistry stuff. This information isn't critical to keeping a healthy tank. Work up to the point you're removing and replacing most of the tank water every few days. Do this religiously and you'll guarantee a steady water chemistry for the fish and plants and you'll have no tank problems.
B
Unless you're into keeping and breeding rare species of fish, you don't need to worry about the pH, hardness or any of the chemistry stuff. This information isn't critical to keeping a healthy tank. Work up to the point you're removing and replacing most of the tank water every few days. Do this religiously and you'll guarantee a steady water chemistry for the fish and plants and you'll have no tank problems.
B
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LuckyWanderer
Aquarium Advice Regular
I'm not sure what APIs idea of a "well lit room" is so I decided to hold the test vile with color card up to a desk lamp I have near my tank. When I tested the ph today away from the lamp it looked like 6.4. Once I held it near the light it looked like 6.6. Also are you supposed to hold the vile right on the card or like an inch or two away from it?
ZxC
Aquarium Advice Addict
you'll never be able to tell the difference b/w 6.4 and 6.6 on the API kit. I usually use a pH meter that comes with calibration solution, much more accurate, time convenient and no farting around with vials.
You pH fluctuations can occur for many different reasons. Yes, it could be the driftwood or the rock, but it fluctuate for reasons alot of fishkeepers wouldn't expect. First remember that everything that eats produces waste. The bacteria in our mouths eat sugar and produce an acidic waste that eats away our tooth enamel. The Nitosomas in your tank feed on ammonia and gives off nitrites which in turn feeds nitrobacter that gives off nitrates. In the process, there are times when these bacteria give off free hydrogen that causes the pH level to drift towards the acidic side. As a Chemist and an aquarium hobbyist, I'm not afraid to use pH buffers such as Proper pH. The problem is that you can't just drop Proper (7.0) ph tabs into water that is 6.4. You have to bring the pH back to 7.0 and then drop in the buffer tabs to help hold the level at 7.0. I use plain baking soda that I dissolve by shaking in a small jar half filled with the aquarium water daily and pour into the tank daily after checking the pH 1st. Once you get to 7.0, drop in the recommended size of your tank. But before I can recommend how much baking soda to put in daily raise your pH slowly and safely, I need to know how many gallons of water you are treating...tank size.
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LuckyWanderer
Aquarium Advice Regular
Ph seems to be holding at 6.6. The gh and kh test kit should be here today by 8pm.
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LuckyWanderer
Aquarium Advice Regular
Alright, I received the GH and KH test kit. I think I understand how to preform the tests based off the instructions. Should I test my tank water and water that has been sitting out for about 2 days now? Water tests from today are ph 6.6, ammonia 0, nitrite 0 and nitrate 10.
Yes. Two days is sufficient for the water to de-gas. One thing to keep in mind is that flouride will not evaporate from the water and neither will most of the chloramines. Go ahead and test the water with your kit. I don't know the lighting situation around the outside of your tank, but mine is close enough to a window that I have about 8 or 9 strands of rooted devil's ivy growing out of the back of my tank that are a beautiful background for the top and they manage to keep the nitrates down since nitrates are plant food. Just letting you know what keeps the nitrates down for me. They suck up so much of the nitrates that I don't even have algae growth...ever!
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LuckyWanderer
Aquarium Advice Regular
The de-gassed water and the tank water are within acceptable parameters. You can use the de-gassed water in your tank with no problem. A .2 difference in pH is acceptable for the fish. An adjustment to tank water is actually what is advised per day if you were going to try to change the pH to a specific target. A .2 change in pH won't stress the fish at all.
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LuckyWanderer
Aquarium Advice Regular
Ok so as long as I de-gas for at least 2 days and then use the same water for a wc everything should be good? What range of Kh/Gh should I be worried about if I see it? And how often should I test Kh/Gh? While doing some research on this I came upon some info that said one or the other bacteria in the tank rely on Kh or Gh to function, should I be worried it might mess up my tank cycle?
coralbandit
Aquarium Advice Addict
I always held my tubes up to the card [touching] under a light the same every time.. Not so worried about actual interpretation of number but more focused on consistency or improvement depending on test. Same every time...
I just recently could not find a new card and believe me they fade over time ...
So I held my tube up to my computer !
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...wnloads.html&usg=AOvVaw2cTycBaMxqD9sJWaOyn5rC
This link is the cards you need and easily found by me every time on my desk top now . When I found my new cards and tested them[the way I do my test] to the computer I think for myself I found the way I will read my test from now on....
Reygan2
Aquarium Advice Addict
I´ve had huge ph fluctuations between my tap and tank since installing a well. Out of tap our ph is 6.5ish. My tank is a constant 7.6ish. I do water changes of at least 80% per week, and my fish are fine. Don´t overthink it.
Fresh2o
Aquarium Advice Addict
A side note to pH fluctuations: In my planted tank the pH would be 7.8-8.0 in the morning and would drop as low as 6.6 by the end of the day. Overnight it would jump back up. GH/KH at 11/8 which is not considered low. This is not uncommon in a high tech, CO2 injected tank.
Kh is the carbonate hardness and it determines buffering capacity. It is best if kept around 80ppm which I think your test kit may show it in degrees. dKH x 17.9 will give you a reading in parts per million (ppm). If you need to raise it, 1/2 tsp of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) will raise the dKH for 25 gallons of water by 2 degrees or 35.8 ppm. I would recommend that your dKH which is overall hardness be kept around 140 ppm or 8 dGH. The most cost effective way to lower it is to buy a few gallons of distilled water at the grocery store. To raise it, add some limestone chips to your filter or small bags of coral to the filter and tank.
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LuckyWanderer
Aquarium Advice Regular
Will limestone raise the Kh and Gh?
Not really. Raising your kh is best done with baking soda. I swear by it because it's safe and the fish tolerate it just fine. They almost seem to enjoy the treatments.
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LuckyWanderer
Aquarium Advice Regular
Will crushed coral?
Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
TMaier
Aquarium Advice Addict
I’ve had great success with aragonite coral. I add a 1/2 cup to my filter in a media bag and my ph is stable for months.
