PH & Tank Size

[Crick127]

I was wondering, does the size of the tank affect the PH? I have three tanks. 55G Tropical, 20G Goldfish and 3G Betta. The source of the water is the same for all three. The 55 is planted but the others are not. The PH on the 55 is always at 6.8, the 20 at 7.0 and the 3 at 7.2. The maintenance is the same on all three as well. Water change once a week about 30 to 40% and the fish are all fed once a day.

 

[BBradbury]

pH Question

Hello Crick...

If the source of your tank water is your tap, then that's not the reason for the difference in pH. The readings are extremely close, so there may be a decoration, a piece of driftwood or a rock that's making the difference.

Anyway, there's really nothing to be concerned about if you are. Fish and plants are quite adaptable and as long as the readings remain constant your tanks will be fine. The problems start when we try to create tank conditions instead of just letting the fish and plants get used to the conditions right from the tap.

Don't forget your large and frequent water changes.

B

 

[Crick127]

Hello B!

Yeah, all the fish are fine and I'm not concerned about altering the PH. I was just curious if tank size had anything to do with it. I use tap water. The 55 does have a small piece of driftwood but it was 6.8 before I added the driftwood. The other two tanks have fake plants in them. The difference is pretty small and fortunately that range seems great for most fish anyways.

 

[BBradbury]

pH Question

Good morning...

Sounds like you're doing a good "water keeping" job. Fish prefer more alkaline water, above 7 and can tolerate a pH of 8.5 with no problem. Plants, on the other hand, like the water more acidic, below 7. But, both have been adapting to different water conditions for a long time.

Your sole job is to keep the water clean. Once you've establish a sound tank maintenance routine, just stick to it and your fish and plants will take care of themselves.

Keep pluggin' away and above all have fun!

B