I am trying to figure this whole "PH" level thing out. I have had my tank for three or four months now with no real problems. I set the tank up for two weeks before I added any fish. I also tested the level myself and had the pet store people test them and all were fine. I added fish gradually over several weeks and had no losses. Recently, after returning from vacation, I lost 5 fish (1-glow fish, 1-molly, 1-platti, & 2-guppies) in three days. The only difference was that I used one of those "automatic" feeders for the week I was gone. I tested the levels again and received readings of pH=6.2 acidic/ total alkalinity=0 / total hardness=very soft (0-25) / nitrate and nitrite=0. I am using a "5 in 1" test strips from Jungle Labs. The rest of the fish in the tank appear fine. There are 2 tetras, 2 glow fish, 2 guppies, an emerald cory, a pepper cory, and a platti. I was told not to add any more fish until I could get the pH level between 6.8 and 7.2. The water from my well is very chlorinated, so I use bottled water. How can I raise my pH level and keep it where it needs to be?
Problems with PH level
- Thread starter tunevec
- Start date
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happygirl65
Aquarium Advice Addict
most bottled water is filtered tap and will probably work ok....but you could just use your tap water and use a dechlorinator like prime to neutralize the chlornine... most of us have chlorinated water sources.
Dont worry so much about a specific pH target range....rather keep it stable. If your pH is settled and stable at 6.2 then keep it there, you are way better off this way.
Also get a liquid reagent test kit because the strips are not very accurate. You should have some readings of nitrate by now so I don't think your testing is doing a whole lot for you.
It is likely that your feeder fed too much while you were gone and you had an ammonia spike that killed some of your fish.
How often do you change the water? Do you vaccuum the gravel when you do it?
How big is your tank?
Dont worry so much about a specific pH target range....rather keep it stable. If your pH is settled and stable at 6.2 then keep it there, you are way better off this way.
Also get a liquid reagent test kit because the strips are not very accurate. You should have some readings of nitrate by now so I don't think your testing is doing a whole lot for you.
It is likely that your feeder fed too much while you were gone and you had an ammonia spike that killed some of your fish.
How often do you change the water? Do you vaccuum the gravel when you do it?
How big is your tank?
Thanks for the help. My tank is 29 gals and I vacuum the gravel at least once every two weeks. To be honest, the nitrate level is between 0 and 20 (very lightly pink on test strip). Will it cause a problem adding new fish to my aquarium with the pH level kept @ 6.2? I also use "easy balance w/ Nitraban" from Tetra and "Stress Coat +" from API when changing water, cleaning tank, or adding new fish.
happygirl65
Aquarium Advice Addict
no, your pH level wont cause a problem. Some fish will tolerate it well while others may not do as well african cichlids for example wouldn't be recommended, while south american cichlids like angels and rams would thrive. Most fish will do fine in a wide range of conditions though as long as they are stable. 
It sounds like you have a good maintenance schedule to me, just add fish slowly so your beneficial bacteria can keep up and you will be just fine.
It sounds like you have a good maintenance schedule to me, just add fish slowly so your beneficial bacteria can keep up and you will be just fine.
hacket
Aquarium Advice Activist
Like happygirl said as well, test your ammonia levels regularly as well. I'd take a guess that this is what caused your fish to die. Even a small level of ammonia is bad. I've been testing mine every day for about 3-4 days now, because I sent my cycle into a slight tailspin, plus am battling ich as well.
OK. Thanks for the tips. How many fish should I add at one time? I wanted to put in 2 more guppies, a black molly, a mickey mouse molly, and the other glow fish since these were all father's day presents from my kids. They were not all added at the same time though!! Any advice is appreciated!! Thanks.
