Aquarium P.h

[IainMac85]

hi all quick question regarding my water p.h,using an API master test kit my tap water has a p.h of 6.8 as it comes out of the tap however after a day or so in my tank it seems to shoot up to around 7.6. only thing i add to the water chemical wise is API tapsafe which doesnt alter the p.h as this was one of the first things i tested.

i have exhausted myself trying to work out what is the cause and was hoping you guys could help or at least give me a better idea, i have had to use ph down but i would rather not use this as my tap water should be acidic enough as it is.
the tanks around 40ltrs it is fully cycled (ammonia 0ppm, nitrites 0ppm, nitrates between 0&5ppm) it is planted with mostly vallis, java moss, and some kind of short grass (unsure of the type. the decorations are 3 pieces of bogwood (redmoor i think) and two chunks of slate. i cannot for the life of me work out what is making my water ph go up like that, the only thing i can think it might be is the substrate which is 3mm natural gravel and is mostly made up of what looks like flint and quartz both of which i believe are inert so im stumped please help lol

 

[The Taffy Apple]

I would be inclined to say don't worry about it, but i'm unsure if you have any fish that can't tolerate that specific PH level.
If you don't then cerainly don't worry about it, a stable PH is far more important to most fish than a precise one... i live in a very soft water area and have to add coral to my tank and filter to get it similiar to yours..count yourself lucky

Terry.

 

[IainMac85]

I would be inclined to say don't worry about it, but i'm unsure if you have any fish that can't tolerate that specific PH level.
If you don't then cerainly don't worry about it, a stable PH is far more important to most fish than a precise one... i live in a very soft water area and have to add coral to my tank and filter to get it similiar to yours..count yourself lucky

Terry.

hi mate cheers for the reply, was thinking of getting a few rummy noses for the tank thts why i was wanting a fairly acidic p.h

 

[Livewire88]

When your water comes out of the tap it will have some disolved CO2 in it meaning the PH will read lower, after a day or so the CO2 will have "gassed off" and therefore your PH level will rise.

To test the true PH if your tap water you need to leave the water standing for around 24 hours in order to get an accurate reading.

 

[The Taffy Apple]

I would be inclined to say don't worry about it, but i'm unsure if you have any fish that can't tolerate that specific PH level.
If you don't then cerainly don't worry about it, a stable PH is far more important to most fish than a precise one... i live in a very soft water area and have to add coral to my tank and filter to get it similiar to yours..count yourself lucky

Terry.

hi mate cheers for the reply, was thinking of getting a few rummy noses for the tank thts why i was wanting a fairly acidic p.h

Given that they are introdcued into your tank properly then they should live at that (7.6) PH level quite happily. One reason to worry about your PH level more specificly would be if you were doing a fishless cycle, i presume you're all ready to go, or are these not your first fish?
Otherwise, do what Livewire advises above and let your water stand.

Terry.

 

[OldMan47]

New water from the faucet contains dissolved gasses. Once it has time to gas off the pH and gas content will reach equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere. It is not unusual for new water to contain a bit of CO2 which will drop the measured pH. Once the CO2 gasses off, the pH rises. Don't worry too much about it. The fish could not care less about your tap water, they only care about the water in their tank. Since CO2 does not affect the mineral content of your water, they will likely also not notice that change.

 

[magical trevor]

New water from the faucet contains dissolved gasses. Once it has time to gas off the pH and gas content will reach equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere. It is not unusual for new water to contain a bit of CO2 which will drop the measured pH. Once the CO2 gasses off, the pH rises. Don't worry too much about it. The fish could not care less about your tap water, they only care about the water in their tank. Since CO2 does not affect the minmeral content of your water, they will likely also not notice that change.

Well ive got a 250l tank. I live in the same area so same water supply.
But i have very stable P.h of 7.0?
I stay just about amile away from my brother (iainmac85). I dont get how his P.h balance is fluctuating so much.