High Ph, What To Do?

[kyleb2003]

So I bought myself a liquid test kit because things don't seem to be quite right in my tank (some of the fish stay up the back and only come out to eat, a couple of deaths) and I want to sort it. It's the one by API. Results as follows:

pH = darker than the maximum on the normal range, so 7.6+. Looked somewhere between 7.6 and 8 on the upper range.
Ammonia = 0ppm
Nitrite = 0ppm
Nitrate = approx 80ppm

Last water change was around 30% on Saturday (now Tuesday). When I measured the tap water it actually came out at about 7.4.

Seeing as my set up is basically Amazonian (even though not all the fish are!), with neons, an apisto cacatuoides, glowlight danios, a few pencil fish, khuli loaches, I was expecting a slightly acidic reading (which is what I've had before with the strips). The only 2 things I can say have definitely changed are the introduction of AE Design Nourish and Nourish + fertilisers, and my bogwood has completely stopped releasing tannins (before it was releasing quite a lot with tea coloured water but now it's crystal clear).

Opinions and advice please on the cause of the high pH, and how to bring it back down to acidic?

 

[flip]

I would worry more about the high nitrAtes. Fish can adapt to higher PH, but Im not familiar with some of your fish or the ferts so maybe someone else can help with that part. Needs a water change to get those nitrAtes down though.

 

[kyleb2003]

Doing water changes however frequently makes no difference to the fish behaviour, I do regular changes so don't see the nitrate as the problem (it's also hard to tell the nitrate from the test as 40 and 80ppm were basically the same colour, hence why it was approximate).

Any body have any advice for action I should take? I don't want to just leave it as is because it's not right and doing water changes doesn't seem to make a difference.

 

[kyleb2003]

Should also add that when I tested the tap water it was only slightly lower nitrate to the tank water.

My tap water is pretty hard, too.

 

[keri578]

80 seems kind of high for nitrates. If you have the API master test kit like I do, with the glass test tubes, they recommend keeping nitrates under 40. If that is the tank you are talking about in your signature, maybe you have some dead or rotting foliage that is causing the nitrates to spike?? Just a thought.

 

[kyleb2003]

Well there is a lot of foliage in there but I do tend to remove any dead leaves daily. It is the API master kit. It's difficult to read the Nitrate level because 40ppm and 80ppm look identical. After a big water change yesterday I did a before and after, the after was clearly a lighter colour but impossible to tell what either readings were from the colour chart.

 

[bullit]

The ph of your water will go up after a day out of the tap, hence why it is higher in the tank. Not a lot you can do really, but im sure your fish will be fine.