Cardinal Ph

[rowdyburns21]

Hi all!
Just wanted to say i see a lot of people in these forums say that cardinals aren't as good in the higher PH range, well i dont know about you guys but my tank ph is about 7.8 and my cardinals are my liveliest fish by far!!! I think you just have to acclimatize them properly? Any thoughts on this? Ive seen a few people on this site say dont get cardinals because of your high ph but from waht I can see there is no problem, i just dont want anyone not to get that fish because of this reason, I would appreciate some input from some of you real experienced fishkeepers!!! A thursday lunchtime thought!!

 

[Matty P]

Cardinals do best in a lower pH (5-7) but can quite easily survive in a pH of 7.8. But there is a huge difference between a pH of 4 and 7, 40 times more alkalinic.

 

[Covert]

Whats your hardness like? i hear cardinals are more sensitive to high GH than others like neons.

 

[Betta5]

I have 5 cardinals healthy and eating and i have never once tested for PH etc. I never do.

 

[Bignose]

Cardinals do best in a lower pH (5-7) but can quite easily survive in a pH of 7.8. But there is a huge difference between a pH of 4 and 7, 40 times more alkalinic.

Where to start here. I guess firstly I should correct the "40 times" since, and this is going to scare Matty P more than he thought, the difference between a pH of 4 and 7 is actually 1000 times more alkaline (or, in the exact same way, 1000 times more acidic). Each full pH unit indicates a 10 fold change in ion concentration.

But, and here's the kicker, the concentrations are reported a pH's because the concentrations are so small that pH is easier to report and deal with. Let me explain. pH stands for the negative of the base 10 logarithm of the concentration of H+ ions.

pH = -log_10 ([H+]) where [] is shorthand for the concentration of the chemical in side the []'s in moles per liter.

So, what does a pH of 7 mean then? It means the concentration of H+ in that case is 0.000 000 1 or 10^-7 moles/liter. This is a very, very small concentration. Similarly, a pH of 4 is 0.000 1 or 10^-4 moles/liter. Sure, it is a 1000 fold difference, but in absolute terms here, it is very, very small. So, multiplicatively, it seems dramatic "1000 times difference!", but in absolute terms it really isn't so bad. A small difference in a small number isn't really a big deal.

And nature reflects that. Fish can and do adapt to a wide range of pH's. They can adjust their internal pHs to new water in about an hour -- assuming that the mineral content in the water is favorable. Cardinals should be able to live very long and healthy lives at a pH of 7.8. They in all likelihood won't spawn in that water, but they aren't going to live unhealthy lives in that water.

 

[rowdyburns21]

Thanks Bignose!
Excellent info

 

[dave_gray2077]

My cardinals do well in 7.2ph. GH is 14-16 points.

The colours are very bright and they are quite lively and inquisitive when anything comes near the tank.

How ever they wont breed if this type pf water.

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

Cardinals are extremely unlikely to breed in an aquarium environment anyway...