JMX100
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Im at a loss at whats going on here.. If anyone might have any ideas it would be much appriciated.. This is a 100 litre aquarium thats been going for about 3 years and only had this problem in the last couple months - I havent changed anything ive been doing. When I do my 10% water changes I re-fill with RO water, about 5.5 pH with salty shrimp minerals that give me kh 0, gh 5, pH 6.4, TDS 100. However my pH keeps buffering to 7.2? Every week. I always test the ro water and mixed water before adding it. At one point I even did a 50% change, and the second it had filled up with ph 6.4 water I tested it.. 7.2 it reads on the ph.. I even use specific ro containers for each aquarium in order to minimise parameter offsets.
Im using liquid test kits, always wash them out properly after each use and have even used 3 different test kits, as I wondered if one was playing up, but no.. All say 7.2.
Nothing in the tank should be causing the pH to rise, I use a neutral substrate from JBL, the only rocks im using are lava rock which shouldnt have any effect on pH, and my usual 206 external filter.
The only things that would effect the pH that I know of should be lowering it! Alder cones, cholla wood, catappa, mulberry and guava leaves..
Temperature is at 22 degrees, I do not use any fertilisers or other products alike, and its a well planted tank, mosses and microsorum, nothing unusual.
7.2 may not sound like an issue, but The tank is usually home to my breeding taiwan bee shrimp, which want the pH from 6.0 - 6.6. Ive had to move them. I do know that if I used an active substrate, e.g ada amazonia that this would lower the pH, however I really need to figure out whats causing this pH rise in this particular tank.
Thanks for reading, any help is much appriciated!
- Jason
Im using liquid test kits, always wash them out properly after each use and have even used 3 different test kits, as I wondered if one was playing up, but no.. All say 7.2.
Nothing in the tank should be causing the pH to rise, I use a neutral substrate from JBL, the only rocks im using are lava rock which shouldnt have any effect on pH, and my usual 206 external filter.
The only things that would effect the pH that I know of should be lowering it! Alder cones, cholla wood, catappa, mulberry and guava leaves..
Temperature is at 22 degrees, I do not use any fertilisers or other products alike, and its a well planted tank, mosses and microsorum, nothing unusual.
7.2 may not sound like an issue, but The tank is usually home to my breeding taiwan bee shrimp, which want the pH from 6.0 - 6.6. Ive had to move them. I do know that if I used an active substrate, e.g ada amazonia that this would lower the pH, however I really need to figure out whats causing this pH rise in this particular tank.
Thanks for reading, any help is much appriciated!
- Jason