ammonia / ph

[j@mie]

hi guys, i did a test last nite on my tank of 4 months and the ammonia level says its 0.4 and ph is the highest, 9.0 i think.

The fish are fine. But why do i have such a high PH ?

Please can someone instruct me on how to deal with this.

P.S the test kit i have doesnt give a very "clear" result, either that or im colour blind so the ammonia could well be 0. its more the PH which im concerned about.

tank contents include, plants and a ship wreck

cheers

 

[Waterloo Kid]

If you only have plants and an ornament then you shouldn't really have any ammonia at all. That is unless some of the plant matter is dying off.

Your pH of 9 is rather high. It could be that your tapwater has a high pH but I suspenct that the test is a bit off. I'd take a sample of the tankwater down to the lfs for testing. That should give you a definitive answer. If it is 9 then I suggest you look for fish that can handle this pH range. Not big on high range pH suitable fish so you'll have to look that up yourself! Try to match the fish to teh water, not the other way round. It'll be much easier!

Do you have any fish in there? If so what?

WK

 

[The-Wolf]

Hi
Try reading this it might help you to tackle your problem
Whats in your water?

 

[Bignose]

You said your tank is 4 months old, but how old is the test kit? The chemicals in them, by opening and closing the lids are exposed to air and can lose a great deal of their accuracy.

0.4 (ppm I am guessing as the units) is a fairly high ammonia, especially after 4 months. Most people recommend the ammonia remain under 0.1 ppm by doing frequent water changes.

A pH of 9.0 is high compared to most tap water, but fish can adapt so long at that pH is constant. This is where research comes in, there are some species who are especially sensitive, but several other species that will be just fine. Several Rift Lake cichlids actually prefer pHs in that range. (Though is seems high pH people always want discus and low pH people want cichlids -- go figure.)

So, check the pH frequently for a while, at least once a week (and at about the same time each day too since it can change during the day!) and if it is constant, it is probably not too big an issue. The ammonia is much more troubling at this point.