Ph?

[Bobby56]

OK I am using API master test kit and my Ph reads 6. How do I test for Ph lower than that? And should I raise the Ph or not? I have had the same fish for about 8months and no deaths

 

[Laser]

No, I would not attempt to raise the PH if they have been alive for 8 months in at that level. What kind of fish do you have?

 

[BBradbury]

You pH Question

OK I am using API master test kit and my Ph reads 6. How do I test for Ph lower than that? And should I raise the Ph or not? I have had the same fish for about 8months and no deaths

Hello B...

You have soft water and that's a great environment for plants. So, just match the plants to your specific lighting and start a heavily planted tank. The plants are natural water filters and the fish will adapt to the conditions as long as they remain stable.

Don't try to change the chemistry, as long as you treat the tap water for ammonia, chlorine and chloramine, the water will be fine.

I would strongly recommend you remove and replace at least half the water in the tank every week. This keeps pollutants to a minimum for the fish and mineral levels high for the plants. Do the large water changes religiously and you'll never have to test the water, it will always be safe for fish and plants.

B

 

[Bobby56]

Yeah but doesn't my low Ph severely limit me to what I can stock in my tank

 

[Mr.Pleco]

You can stock cichlids. Some require soft water.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

Well yes it does limit you but not so much as you'd think. There's alot of blackwater species and Amazonian. As long as alot of fish are properly acclimated they should do fine.
German blue rams for one need a ph that low and its just one of many that would do well.

 

[BBradbury]

Your pH Question

Yeah but doesn't my low Ph severely limit me to what I can stock in my tank

Hello again b...

Unless you keep rare fish species, you can ignore the fact you have hard or soft tap water. I've read many times that the vast majority of aquarium fish will do fine in the vast majority of public and municipal water supplies.

Just use a good brand of water treatment and change half the water in the tank every week and your fish will be fine.

B

 

[blert]

What is the pH of your source water?

The problem with a pH that low is the fact that nitrification stops at a pH lower than six. So, it's not that the fish can't adjust, it's that you basically have no bio filter. In the wild this is not an issue as the water is flowing from and to somewhere else. In an enclosed system you need a way to rid the ammonia and nitrite before it builds to dangerous levels.

 

[Bobby56]

The source water also reads 6 on the liquid test

 

[Bobby56]

What is the pH of your source water?

The problem with a pH that low is the fact that nitrification stops at a pH lower than six. So, it's not that the fish can't adjust, it's that you basically have no bio filter. In the wild this is not an issue as the water is flowing from and to somewhere else. In an enclosed system you need a way to rid the ammonia and nitrite before it builds to dangerous levels.

And that's was another of my concern

 

[Bobby56]

I would like to bring it up above 6 only if it was just a little

 

[blert]

Put an air stone in a jug of water and let it bubble over night. Check the pH after 24 hours. Mine raises from below six to ~7.

 

[Bobby56]

So what would be keeping it from raising I'm my tank? Its been this why for a long time

 

[Bobby56]

Put an air stone in a jug of water and let it bubble over night. Check the pH after 24 hours. Mine raises from below six to ~7.

I am trying it this way today. I left some water in a container so tomorrow I will check it

 

[BBradbury]

Your pH Question

And that's was another of my concern

Excellent point. This water chemistry situation is no different than anyone else using public tap water in their tanks. By removing and replacing at least half the tank volume every week, not every two weeks or whenever it fits in with your schedule, you change half the water weekly.

By flushing a lot of pure, treated, even 6 pH water through the tank every week there's no time for pollutants to build up in the tank before the next large water change.

I change a minimum of half the water in my planted tanks every week and never have to test the water chemistry. I know it's always safe for the fish.

Not everyone will commit to an aggressive water change routine, so they must resort to testing to check the pollution levels. Then, they'll likely change only 25 to 30 percent at most. This still leaves 70 percent of the dirty water in the tank. More than enough waste to damage senative fish gills and stress the fish, allowing parasites like "Ich" to infect the tank.

Not sure how I got onto this subject. Sorry for the "soapbox", I'll quit.

B

 

[Bobby56]

I am on well water also

 

[Bobby56]

I was thinking of adding a little crushed coral? If so how much should I use on a 55gal tank to raise the Ph Mabye a couple points?

 

[blert]

Excellent point. This water chemistry situation is no different than anyone else using public tap water in their tanks. By removing and replacing at least half the tank volume every week, not every two weeks or whenever it fits in with your schedule, you change half the water weekly.

By flushing a lot of pure, treated, even 6 pH water through the tank every week there's no time for pollutants to build up in the tank before the next large water change.

I change a minimum of half the water in my planted tanks every week and never have to test the water chemistry. I know it's always safe for the fish.

Not everyone will commit to an aggressive water change routine, so they must resort to testing to check the pollution levels. Then, they'll likely change only 25 to 30 percent at most. This still leaves 70 percent of the dirty water in the tank. More than enough waste to damage senative fish gills and stress the fish, allowing parasites like "Ich" to infect the tank.

Not sure how I got onto this subject. Sorry for the "soapbox", I'll quit.

B

No no, I get your point and am not trying to discredit at all, and I too change half the water in my tanks weekly. I'm just saying that when the pH drops below six for a length of time you pretty much no longer have a biological filter. We all know that toxin spikes can happen over night (heck, sometimes in only a few hours) depending on your stock. Heavy planting helps in this situation but if the tank has little or no live plants then, IMO, it needs to be looked into before a disaster happens. Knowing the true pH of the source water will help determine what is going on. If the fish are doing fine and you are not having toxin issues then nothing need be done. But, if there is issues they need to be addressed.

If it turns out that the true pH of your source water is, say, ~7ish then there is something in your tank causing it to drop (certain rocks, leaching driftwood,etc).

 

[Bobby56]

K so say if the Ph in the source water is still reading 6 after it sets for 24hr. What would be the best way to raise my Ph?

 

[blert]

I was thinking of adding a little crushed coral? If so how much should I use on a 55gal tank to raise the Ph Mabye a couple points?

First find out the true pH of the source water. If it turns out higher then you need to do some large water changes and, as BBradbury said, you need to up your water change schedule to 50% weekly. If it turns out still to be low then, if your fish are fine and you are not having any toxin spikes then just stick to 50% water changes a week and it will be fine.