PH swings

[jlbfish]

I am wondering if I am responsible for my cory deaths. Each time I change the water I do a 50% water change.

The pH of the tank today reads at 8.0. My pH of the water I use to change the tank water is 7.4 (if my readings are correct). Straight out of tap reads the same.

I leave the water I put back in the tanks after water changes for 1-7 days covered to get to room temp.

My tank has plastic plants, one piece of driftwood and blasting sand. Why would the pH be higher ? Would that .6 be dangerous to my fish? Seems so.

The low pH gives slightly different readings too. Would gassing off the tap over night raise or lower pH?

Any advice?

Thanks!

 

[Nitwig]

Does your tap water contain chloramine? Maybe try doing smaller water changes more frequently and use a dechlorinator like seachem prime.

 

[BBradbury]

Water Chemistry Question

I am wondering if I am responsible for my cory deaths. Each time I change the water I do a 50% water change.

The pH of the tank today reads at 8.0. My pH of the water I use to change the tank water is 7.4 (if my readings are correct). Straight out of tap reads the same.

I leave the water I put back in the tanks after water changes for 1-7 days covered to get to room temp.

My tank has plastic plants, one piece of driftwood and blasting sand. Why would the pH be higher ? Would that .6 be dangerous to my fish? Seems so.

The low pH gives slightly different readings too. Would gassing off the tap over night raise or lower pH?

Any advice?

Thanks!

Hello jlb...

Just take a couple of minutes and review what you're doing for your tank. Changing half the water every week is good. Just replace the old water with new, treated tap water. You don't have to age the water, just make it a bit warmer than the old.

Corydoras prefer a neutal pH (7), but most aquarium fish will adapt to to a pH between 6.5 and 8. Just treat the new water for ammonia, chlorine and chloramine.

Get some real plants into the tank. They are natural water filters and will help keep the water properties stable. I like to float Anacharis and Pennywort in my tanks.

Sand is the preferred substrate for Corys, but it can compact and create voids where toxins can build up and create problems. There are a number of other substrates that are easier to maintain. Just an opinion. I keep large tanks of Corydoras and don't recommend sand, again that's just me.

Feed sparingly. Fish don't need much food. I feed 2 times a week. A variety of frozen is best and just feed a little or what will be eaten in a couple of minutes at most. Extra dissolved food in the water will create water problems and algae to grow.

Work on the above suggestions if you like.

B

 

[jlbfish]

It may contain Cholramine I treat with Prime every time.

I started sitting them in buckets so I would have water room temp and ready to go instead of trying to get the temp right out of the tap. We are in Texas so in the summer it was running 84 in the winter it runs in the 60's and my tanks are about 75-78 so it was just easier to not fight with the thermomter or take the time to fill the buckets and just have water ready to change my tanks all in one day.

I have a higher pH not sure what is raising my pH in my tank but it isn't 7 it is about 7.6 - 8.2

I don't have any plants in the tank as my lighting isn't great for it yet. We are making some LED lights that are pretty bright but what I have now I dont' think would support anything.

I use blasting sand in the tank and sir and vacuum every time I clean the tank and it is pretty gritty so I am pretty sure there are no dead spots. I WAS having that problem with moon sand (or something like that) it would pack in and leave black spots.

I don't feed too often every other day or every two days (this is a different tank than my tank with a diatom bloom).

Otherwise I am pretty sure my higher pH is to blame. I am not sure why it is higher in the tank and lower from my tap but I would love to find out. I want it lower. My tetras are surviving and doing ok but I have lost a few. My corydoras hasbrosus however are dropping like flies. I called the LFS and they are in fact wild caught so they are in no way prepared for the nice pH of Austin Texas which sits on a bed of limestone

THanks for the suggestions though I appreciate all the help I can get
Jana