How can I maintain pH at around 6?

[tpfaok]

I've tetras and find that the water's pH keeps dropping. The water's pH drops at rate of 0.3 a day.
What can I do to maintain the pH at around 6 besides doing frequent water change?
Tested Aquamedi's kh buffer and found that it drastically increases the water's pH and so am hesistant to add that to the tank.
What other alternatives do I have?

 

[greenmaji]

Welcome to AA!!
The PH target number is not important..
your PH dropping every day would be..
what are your ammonia, nitrtite and nitrate levels?
Have you tested how long it takes for it to stop droping?
can you leave some of your water out in a glass and see if the PH does the same thing?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

If your pH is dropping by .3 every day, I'd assume that it is because you have soft water that doesn't have the buffering ability to hold the pH steady. There are many things that you can do to fix this, such as limestone in the tank or crushed coral in the filter. But before I could give a definate answer, the hardness and pH levels are needed.

 

[TankGirl]

Welcome to Aquarium Advice, tpfaok!!

I'll second the above, and just to give a little info on why this happens, it is acidification that causes pH to drop. This comes from decomposing organic matter, like fish food, fish waste, driftwood, decaying plants, etc. If you have a high organic load in your tank from any of the above or similar sources, it can cause this to happen in water with poor buffering capacity (alkalinity or "KH").

I'd measure your KH in your tap and tank as well as pH in your tap (leaving the tap water out overnight for CO2 - another acid - to outgas and give you an accurate pH reading). Then, assuming your KH is low, under about 4 degrees, you'll need to buffer your water, and there are relatively simple, non-drastic ways to do this.

However, you'll also need to address the tank conditions and perhaps revamp you maintenance schedule to keep excess debris from collecting and causing pH crashes like you are having. More frequent water changes, gravel vacs, plant prunings, etc., plus not overfeeding will go a long way to help this situation.

 

[tpfaok]

I must confess that I've been a bad boy.

I've around 70 cardinals and 6 corys in a 50 litres tank.
There are 6 sponge filters (each 4ins diameter and 6ins height) and 1 corner filter.
There are some floating weeds and a palm nut (growing) in the tank.

So guess the fall in pH is due to the number of fishes (fed thrice a day) and the palm nut.

The palm nut is pretty interesting. It's around 3ins long and 2ins wide. Picked it up from the beach 8) around 9mths ago. It's growing well in the tank with the roots and nuts submerged and the stem and leaves above the water surface.

Back to the kh.
I'll like to keep the water slightly acidic for the cardinals.
I've monitoring the pH daily with a electronic meter and trying to maintain the pH constant first with baking soda and now with the kh buffer that I've just bought.
It's getting tedious and am hoping for some means that I can keep the pH constant with just a weekly check .

Added some coral chips last nite and hoping that these will do the trick.

 

[TankGirl]

I don't think the palm nut is causing pH drop for you, unless it is rotting. Healthy, growing plants do not acidify the water, but decaying leaves and such will.

If your tap water KH is decent you just need to do weekly water changes, perhaps 30-50%, and that should do the trick, without the need for constant fiddling with additives and such. Keep debris off the bottom and don't overfeed (taking care that excess food does not collect on the bottom as well). Knowing your tap water parameters will help a lot in determining how to maintain the tank and keep it stable.

 

[tkos]

That tank is a bit overstocked and no doubt that is working against you. Cut back the feeding to once a day, twice at most. The fish will be fine. Larger water chanegs may be enough to help keep the pH up and maybe reduce the amount of changes you have to do in a week.

 

[greenmaji]

you are talking about a 13 gallon tank 8O
you are more then a bit overstocked.. you really need to look into moving a large number of those fish..