pH

[Sawyer_Peyton18]

What pH far tank with plants and the following fish:
2 Angelfish
6 Platies
4 Otos
6 Cory Catfish
3 Pictus Catfish

6.5 OR 7.0

 

[Rak9378]

What is the pH out of your tap? Generally speaking it is much better to just stick with the natural pH of your water than try to alter it. Stability is more important than trying to match an ideal pH. Deliberately altering pH requires a lot of work. Most freshwater fish can adapt to a wide a wide array of pH levels.

 

[Sawyer_Peyton18]

If i live the pH alone should I use the drip acclimation just to be safe.

 

[Khuligirl93]

Stick with whatever your water's natural pH is. You don't want a pH below 6.5 though because it will stop the activity of your beneficial bacteria.
Drip acclimation is never a bad idea

 

[mrvincent]

If PH is too low, it's easy to maintain it higher with baking soda on each waterchanges, but lowering it is another game. It can make flukes and kill fishs.

 

[Rak9378]

If PH is too low, it's easy to maintain it higher with baking soda on each waterchanges, but lowering it is another game. It can make flukes and kill fishs.

I would be hesitant to use baking soda as a long term solution. IMO it's best used as a quick fix only. I do agree its easier to raise pH than lower it.

 

[mrvincent]

Carbonate calcium raise both GH and KH... Depends on what the goal is...

If your tap is >= 2dKH° just keep it this way.


For sure, acid or alkaline powder is a really bad idea.

 

[BBradbury]

Your Water pH

What pH far tank with plants and the following fish:
2 Angelfish
6 Platies
4 Otos
6 Cory Catfish
3 Pictus Catfish

6.5 OR 7.0

Hello Saw...

Don't worry about the chemistry of your tap water. Aquarium fish are very tolerant of most public water supplies. Just make sure the tank is properly cycled before you put in the fish. Get easy to take care of plants into the tank, like the floating kind. Then every week or two, remove and replace half the tank water.

B

 

[Sawyer_Peyton18]

I don't know if it makes a difference but I don't have public water we have well water. Could I take a sample of my well water and take it to petsmart to see what the pH is to be safe?

 

[Rak9378]

Ideally you should buy your own test kit. Drops not strips. But if you do rely on a LFS to test your water make sure you write down the test results. Don't just let them tell you "it's all good". Also, let the water sample sit for 24 hours before you test it or take it to the LFS. This will allow the water to "gas off" and will give you a more accurate pH reading.

 

[mrvincent]

PH drop test aren't so much accurante I believe... I'm using cheap 15$ digital PH meter... It's not like a 100$ test, but to the job better than test kits.

I don't know if it makes a difference but I don't have public water we have well water. Could I take a sample of my well water and take it to petsmart to see what the pH is to be safe?

I would say test KH too.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

I don't know if it makes a difference but I don't have public water we have well water. Could I take a sample of my well water and take it to petsmart to see what the pH is to be safe?

Get your own test kit. API/Seachem liquid test kits are preferable.

Test your water straight out of the tap.
Then put a sample in a cup/bucket and let it sit for 24 hours and then test it.
Take a second sample and aerate it for 24 hours (airstone in the bucket) and test that again.

With this method you will know exactly what your water does over time and what its true PH is.