pH drops every day

[Jmedulla12]

Hi all,
The pH of my water drops to 5-6 every day even though my ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are all good. I use pH up to bring it back to around 7, but the next day it’s down again. Does anyone have suggestions on how to stabilize the pH? Trying to improve conditions for my glofish, nerite snails, and amano shrimp. Thank you!

 

[Andy Sager]

Hi all,
The pH of my water drops to 5-6 every day even though my ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are all good. I use pH up to bring it back to around 7, but the next day it’s down again. Does anyone have suggestions on how to stabilize the pH? Trying to improve conditions for my glofish, nerite snails, and amano shrimp. Thank you!

1st) Check your Kh. That is what buffers the PH to keep it from dropping.

2nd) what substrate are you using? Do you have any woods that would be acidifying the water in the tank? What is the Ph and Kh of your source water?

 

[huma-huma]

Stop using ph up. All its going to do is cause swings like this which is worse for the fish. To expand on Andy's comment you need to add a proper substrate that will constantly buffer your water and help stabilize at a higher ph

 

[ShyWildPetExper]

Keeping pH stable can be a challenge. It's good that your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels are in check. Consider checking your water hardness (KH) as it acts as a buffer for pH stability. Seashells, crushed coral, or a buffer designed for aquariums can help maintain a more constant pH level. Slowly introducing these can make a positive impact without causing sudden shifts. Keep an eye on the changes, and hopefully, your glofish, snails, and shrimp will thrive!

 

[Jmedulla12]

The tank KH is about 25ppm and my tap water is about 50ppm (the test results are very similar with the api test kit). I have seachem matrix in the filter. No wood. I will try out some crushed coral. Thank you for your responses!

 

[Andy Sager]

The tank KH is about 25ppm and my tap water is about 50ppm (the test results are very similar with the api test kit). I have seachem matrix in the filter. No wood. I will try out some crushed coral. Thank you for your responses!

A lack of good aeration can also cause Ph to drop. Do you have good water circulation? Can you post a 1 minute video of your tank setup for us to see what's going on?