Does PH hav any effect???

[nshockeyplaya]

Hey i was wondeing if during a cycle, PH has any effect? Because my PH is at 6.0 and i dont know how that happened.

 

[Teelie]

I don't think it does. The bacteria grow in almost every kind of pH possible.

 

[nshockeyplaya]

Okay, do you think i should wait till after the cycle finishes to try and raise it with some prducts?

I just dont know how the PH could get to 6.0 when my tap is 7.0

 

[fufanu360]

i wouldnt try and play with it too much... if your gonna do it, get it stabilized before u get fish

 

[nshockeyplaya]

thats what i was thinkin

 

[Teelie]

Never use products. They're temporary and often cause pH shock to fish. If you still have low pH, add some calcium like cuttlebone (pet shops selling bird supplies will have some) or liquid calcium to the water to bring the pH up. What kind of water are you using btw? Tap usually is much harder and needs to come down so I'm guessing either bottled or filtered water of some type? If not, then you're lucky. Most Discus keepers would practically kill for that kind of pH water.

 

[Paul_MTS]

a PH of 6 is great, it's usually alot better to be a bit acidic than alkaline. i'm on about 8 and need to get lower really. all depends on ifyou want to specialise in any fish really.

 

[nshockeyplaya]

MY tap water is 7.0, right on the money which is good for me and the fish i like. IU have used the product Tank Buddies by Jungle for years and they have worked like a charm. It never harmed my fish and it worked pretty good.

I dnt get how it got to 6 iof my tap is 7

 

[pahansen]

Do you have any driftwood/bogwood in the tank? I believe this can lower the pH.

-- Pamela

 

[Teelie]

Driftwood can but it usually can't lower pH that much.

 

[nshockeyplaya]

I have a fake one i beleive it was labeled as driftwood but i dont think its real wood. I dont have much though. So i dont see how its 6

 

[Bignose]

The effect pH has on the nitrifying bacteria can be found at this link. And, the end products of the cycle are acidic, so as more and more ammonia are turned over through the process, more acid is produced, which lowers the pH. This is why you should investigate the KH of your water, to check the amount of buffering capability your water has. If there is significant buffering, the pH will not go down because of the cycle end products.

 

[nshockeyplaya]

So its nothing to worry about really?