PH Problem

[namibia]

I am having a frustrating problem of keeping my PH below 7.5! I have taken each item in the tank (rocks, a couple pieces of driftwood and samples of the gravel) out and placed each in a water pail and watched the PH over a 24 hour period. My house water is 7.1-7.2, and none of the items raised the PH at all. I can reduce the PH to about 7.3 with fresh water and PH Down liquid, but within 6 hours, the PH goes back up to 7.5-7.6! Twice I completely emptied the tank and washed the gravel and tank and refilled it with no results. I do have a significant amount of live plants. Could they be the problem. Any help would be appreciated.

Namibia.

 

[taylorodw]

Your lives plants are most likely not raising your pH. When you test your tap water, is that immediately from the tap? What is it after 24 hours?

Why does your pH need to stay below 7.5?

 

[black hills tj]

pH of 7.5 or 7.6 is just fine, and in most cases won't stop you from doing anything in your aquarium. I have bred many fish in pH 8-8.5 water that normally prefer softer water. Stable pH is more important than trying to hit "that perfect number" and bouncing your water params all over.

 

[namibia]

I am planing on getting angels that I believe are best raised in 6.8-7.1 PH. But I do agree that the fish I now have in the tank seem to be perfectly happy in the 7.5 PH.

And my tap water reaches a maximum of 7.2-7.3 after several days of sitting.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[black hills tj]

I am planing on getting angels that I believe are best raised in 6.8-7.1 PH. But I do agree that the fish I now have in the tank seem to be perfectly happy in the 7.5 PH.

And my tap water reaches a maximum of 7.2-7.3 after several days of sitting.

Thanks for the replies.

Your angels will do just fine. Mine spawned consistently in 8.0.

 

[HN1]

I am having a frustrating problem of keeping my PH below 7.5! I have taken each item in the tank (rocks, a couple pieces of driftwood and samples of the gravel) out and placed each in a water pail and watched the PH over a 24 hour period. My house water is 7.1-7.2, and none of the items raised the PH at all. I can reduce the PH to about 7.3 with fresh water and PH Down liquid, but within 6 hours, the PH goes back up to 7.5-7.6! Twice I completely emptied the tank and washed the gravel and tank and refilled it with no results. I do have a significant amount of live plants. Could they be the problem. Any help would be appreciated.

Namibia.

Was that after it sat out overnight? The CO2 in tap will gas off and raise the pH.

Stability is much more important than the actual number for the vast majority of fish in the hobby.

 

[mgamer20o0]

Your angels will do just fine. Mine spawned consistently in 8.0.

same here with hard water too.

 

[Bobz]

You are correct in that angels prefer slightly acidic water since they originally came from the amazon basin in s. america. However, most angels today are farm or tank raised and may have been born in unnatural water. A ph of 8 or above is characteristic of salt water, that is high in salts and hard. Not ideal conditions for angels who prefer acidic/soft water. My suggestion, although a pain is use bottled water and change 10-15% of your tank weekly. You can also add peat (in a filter bag) to your filter to soften your water. Good luck!
Bob in New York

 

[HN1]

You are correct in that angels prefer slightly acidic water since they originally came from the amazon basin in s. america. However, most angels today are farm or tank raised and may have been born in unnatural water. A ph of 8 or above is characteristic of salt water, that is high in salts and hard. Not ideal conditions for angels who prefer acidic/soft water. My suggestion, although a pain is use bottled water and change 10-15% of your tank weekly. You can also add peat (in a filter bag) to your filter to soften your water. Good luck!
Bob in New York

I totally disagree with attemting to alter it. If the angels are fine in the "unnatural" water conditions the priority should be on stability instead of manipulation. Unless you are working with wild caught fish, I find that recommended pH ranges are for the most part just regurgitated information that people seem afraid to proliferate.

Just my 2 cents.