Are these ph ranges acceptable?

[drm315]

I've made other posts about my ph situation and trying to figure it out.
From my tap, with the API FW kit, my ph reads to be 7.6 (even though the lfs tested it at 6.8 using test strips). But, my tank ph is usually a lot lower than that.

Yesterday I performed a 50% water change to get my nitrates down some (they were around 40-80). Since I've been wondering about my ph changes, I decided to track them for a few hours and again this morning to see if there were great fluctuations. The first picture is the first four hours after the water change, the second picture is the next four hours, and the final picture is this morning's test, almost 24 hours after the water change. Are these fluctuations in my ph normal and safe for fish? I am at the end of my cycling process and am ready to get my fish, but don't want to if these fluctuations in my ph need to be investigated more. Over the weekend, I broke up a cuttlebone and put a piece in each of my filter intakes to try to raise the ph in my tank so it would be closer to what is coming out of my tap.

 

[Reygan2]

I've made other posts about my ph situation and trying to figure it out.
From my tap, with the API FW kit, my ph reads to be 7.6 (even though the lfs tested it at 6.8 using test strips). But, my tank ph is usually a lot lower than that.

Yesterday I performed a 50% water change to get my nitrates down some (they were around 40-80). Since I've been wondering about my ph changes, I decided to track them for a few hours and again this morning to see if there were great fluctuations. The first picture is the first four hours after the water change, the second picture is the next four hours, and the final picture is this morning's test, almost 24 hours after the water change. Are these fluctuations in my ph normal and safe for fish? I am at the end of my cycling process and am ready to get my fish, but don't want to if these fluctuations in my ph need to be investigated more. Over the weekend, I broke up a cuttlebone and put a piece in each of my filter intakes to try to raise the ph in my tank so it would be closer to what is coming out of my tap.

I'd be interested in knowing KH and GH. Can you post a full tank shot? What type of decor do you have in the tank? I haven't followed your other posts but if this has already been covered let me know.

You can keep most fish with that pH, but of course you'll want to acclimate them properly. Keeping levels stable is most important, and using methods to raise or lower pH levels can be tricky as well as harmful to fish unless you really know what you're doing. IMO your best bet is to leave it alone and work with what you have.

 

[drm315]

I'd be interested in knowing KH and GH. Can you post a full tank shot? What type of decor do you have in the tank? I haven't followed your other posts but if this has already been covered let me know.

You can keep most fish with that pH, but of course you'll want to acclimate them properly. Keeping levels stable is most important, and using methods to raise or lower pH levels can be tricky as well as harmful to fish unless you really know what you're doing. IMO your best bet is to leave it alone and work with what you have.

I do not have a way to test kh and gh. My lfs said my kh was 20 (he used strips to measure this). I'm not sure what that means exactly, whether that is high or low or what?....

Everything is exactly the same as in the picture, except I took out the small pot, thinking it could be effecting the water parameters. The water hasn't tested any different with it gone, so I don't think it is to blame. The plants have grown quite a bit since this picture was taken also. The sword on the right reaches the top of the water level now and the others have filled out, as well.

Also, I know that the stability is what is most important. It's just that my ph comes out of my tap at such a higher number than what is in the tank. That's what has me concerned because when I do a water change, the ph going in is so different from what is in the tank. Does that make sense? I've always understood that the stability is what is important, but I've never had such a problem with the numbers being so drastically different from what's in the tank as opposed to what's coming out of the tap. I also have about .50 of ammonia coming straight from my tap, as well.

 

[toolman]

Here is a link on water chemistry, if your kh is 20 that's low. Your water needs minerals to raise your buffer which will keep your pH near what it was from tap.

I am not an expert, I have the exact opposite problem. Maybe someone else can tell you how to raise kh, all I know is lowering and I haven't mastered that yet. Lol

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=16+2154&aid=1526

 

[Reygan2]

I do not have a way to test kh and gh. My lfs said my kh was 20 (he used strips to measure this). I'm not sure what that means exactly, whether that is high or low or what?....

Everything is exactly the same as in the picture, except I took out the small pot, thinking it could be effecting the water parameters. The water hasn't tested any different with it gone, so I don't think it is to blame. The plants have grown quite a bit since this picture was taken also. The sword on the right reaches the top of the water level now and the others have filled out, as well.

Also, I know that the stability is what is most important. It's just that my ph comes out of my tap at such a higher number than what is in the tank. That's what has me concerned because when I do a water change, the ph going in is so different from what is in the tank. Does that make sense? I've always understood that the stability is what is important, but I've never had such a problem with the numbers being so drastically different from what's in the tank as opposed to what's coming out of the tap. I also have about .50 of ammonia coming straight from my tap, as well.

I totally understand, I have a similar problem...my tap pH is 6.4ish and my tank is steady at 7.6ish. My solution is to do smaller, more frequent water changes. That's been working well for me.

 

[drm315]

Here is a link on water chemistry, if your kh is 20 that's low. Your water needs minerals to raise your buffer which will keep your pH near what it was from tap.

I am not an expert, I have the exact opposite problem. Maybe someone else can tell you how to raise kh, all I know is lowering and I haven't mastered that yet. Lol

Water Chemistry Basics: pH, Temperature, Water Hardness, Waste Breakdown, Minerals, and Chemicals

Very interesting article, toolman! It got me looking more into my local water source, which I found does come from a lake, which is generally hard water and higher in ph, which would explain why it comes out of my faucet at 7.6. But, since the ph is falling inside the tank, maybe I should look at things to take out of my tank that might make it closer to what's coming from my tank, so there isn't such a drastic change during water changes. I've read that driftwood can effect (lower) ph. I have two smallish pieces of driftwood in this tank. I'm going to try taking out the larger of the two and see if my ph comes up a little closer to what is coming out of my faucet.

I did add a piece of cuttlefish bone to each of my filter intakes over the weekend. Haven't noticed a huge change since adding them, though.

 

[drm315]

This shows the drastic difference between what comes from my tap (pic on right) and what is in my tank (pic on left)....

 

[drm315]

Just performed the high ph test on my tap water since it came out so blue on the regular one and it looks closer to 8.0 (very brown). Soooo, I tested my tank water with the high ph test and it is a very light tan/yellow color (a color that's not even on the high ph test graph). This one's really got me scratching my head!