My tanks' pH is still very high, even now that the cycle finished.

[Aneamals]

Both my main tank and my quarantine finished cycling yesterday, but I'm not able to get a fish right now.

My problem is that both my tanks pH are really high, they are 8.2. My sink is actually 6.6. I found out how high the pH was like about 2 weeks ago or less. I used to use test strips, and they would tell me the pH was 7.5. But then I bought liquid tests, and they told me they were 8.2. Someone told me that it's normal for the pH to rise during a cycle. So when is it supposed to go back to normal? Do I have to wait for the pH to lower so I can add a fish? Because, what if the pH decides to lower when the fish is IN the tank, won't that be dangerous to the fish?

My water is also very hard in general. gH is about 120, and kH is about 80. I used to have a few sea shells in the main tank, but I removed them all except for one, because I was worried they caused the high pH. Though my quarantine doesn't have any shells and the pH is the same.

 

[BBradbury]

Your Tank

Both my main tank and my quarantine finished cycling yesterday, but I'm not able to get a fish right now.

My problem is that both my tanks pH are really high, they are 8.2. My sink is actually 6.6. I found out how high the pH was like about 2 weeks ago or less. I used to use test strips, and they would tell me the pH was 7.5. But then I bought liquid tests, and they told me they were 8.2. Someone told me that it's normal for the pH to rise during a cycle. So when is it supposed to go back to normal? Do I have to wait for the pH to lower so I can add a fish? Because, what if the pH decides to lower when the fish is IN the tank, won't that be dangerous to the fish?

My water is also very hard in general. gH is about 120, and kH is about 80. I used to have a few sea shells in the main tank, but I removed them all except for one, because I was worried they caused the high pH. Though my quarantine doesn't have any shells and the pH is the same.

Hello Ane...

A pH between 6 and 8.5 is fine for most fish you get at the pet store. Fish are very tolerant of their water as long as it's kept very clean, so keep up with your water changes. Fish generally prefer a higher pH. Plants are a bit different, they like more acidic water. But plants, especially the floating kind, are natural water filters and help maintain a constant water chemistry. This is more important than a particular chemistry.

I would say, don't worry about the pH, hardness or any of the chemistry stuff. Just keep the tank water pure with large, freqent water changes and get some floating plants into the tank. Hornwort is what I use to keep the tank water pure between water changes.

B

 

[Aneamals]

Hello Ane...

A pH between 6 and 8.5 is fine for most fish you get at the pet store. Fish are very tolerant of their water as long as it's kept very clean, so keep up with your water changes. Fish generally prefer a higher pH. Plants are a bit different, they like more acidic water. But plants, especially the floating kind, are natural water filters and help maintain a constant water chemistry. This is more important than a particular chemistry.

I would say, don't worry about the pH, hardness or any of the chemistry stuff. Just keep the tank water pure with large, freqent water changes and get some floating plants into the tank. Hornwort is what I use to keep the tank water pure between water changes.

B

Ok, that sounds great then! But hopefully the pH doesn't change again, not too quickly at least.
I plan to have Platys, Cherry Barbs, and Amano Shrimp. I currently just have a few Marimo moss balls.

 

[gilpi]

Not much else I can add to the above reply.
There's really not much you can do to safely change your tap water's pH and "most" store bought fish will live in a wide ph range.
One thing I do tell newcomers is to concentrate on water changes, don't drive yourself crazy with water parameters, sit back and enjoy the fish.

 

[Aneamals]

Not much else I can add to the above reply.
There's really not much you can do to safely change your tap water's pH and "most" store bought fish will live in a wide ph range.
One thing I do tell newcomers is to concentrate on water changes, don't drive yourself crazy with water parameters, sit back and enjoy the fish.

Thanks, that's relaxing to hear! Though I wasn't trying to change my tap water's pH, it's actually more acidic. I was just worried about my tank water's drastic pH difference compared to the tap water.

 

[Masha]

The fact that you tap and your tank water are at such different ph levels is a cause for concern. There must be something in your tank - maybe the shells you mention? Or the substrate? That's making the ph rise.

Typically the biological processes created by the bacteria makes the ph fall, so a rising ph seems to point to something in the tank that's leaching into the water. But that's just a guess, of course!

The others are quite right that it's better to have a stable ph than a specific ph, but if the tank and tap differ so much, then you will have a swing in ph every time you do a water change, which is not ideal.

(I see somebody told you it was normal for ph to rise during a cycle - I'm very far from an expert, and I thought it was normal for ph to DROP during a cycle. That might be something to do some research on)