High Ph

[Nerak95]

I've read and visited some fish stores and it appears that the best method of reducing the PH is through the use of driftwood. I had already tried to lower the PH by using the PH decreasing liquid but it didn't do a thing.

I've got a 34gal aquarium with only 5 harlequin rasporas and one guppy that is thriving in that tank. I've an abundant population of trumpet snails that I would like to erradicate with a clown loach. Unfortunately with the PH being so high (it's off the charts) it would only be detrimental to the loach.

The driftwood has been in there about a week and the PH is the same. How long will it be before I see a reponse by using the driftwood to lower the PH and since there's been no significant change would it be avantageous to add more driftwood?

Any advice?

Karen

 

[Mikaila31]

First your tank is too small for a Clown Loach, they can get big 12"+. Their are many other smaller loaches that will eat snails though I doubt they would completely get rid of them. Second, What is your PH? and what are you using to test it?

Driftwood will lower the PH, but not by much and eventually it will stop lowering the PH.

 

[the biffster]

not drift wood bog wood also what have you got as a substrate and what rocks and things have you got in your tank
also whats your stats hope your not testing with test strips as they are b*******s

 

[Nerak95]

Thanks for your replies.

I've got an undergravel filter with about 1.5 inches of gravel and an external power filter. There are no rocks, but there are artificial plants (plastic/clothlike). (On a side note, will lavarock upset the PH balance?)

I've been using an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals testing kit. The color chart goes up to 7.6 and since adding a PH down solution, it hasn't budged. I'm assuming that it's above and beyond the 7.6. Nitrates and nitrites are good and the ammonia is a little high.but I've been in a working on getting it down.

The water I use is softened water. PH tests the same whether it's out of the tap, the spigot or the RO system.

As for the clown loach issue, I realize that the snail problem will not be eradicated. I should have made that clear in my earlier post. I'm just looking for something to help keep it in check in lieu of stripping down my tank. I've had clown loaches for a number of years before and the biggest they got were about 4 inches. I think it must have gotten to be about five years old.

Do you think with the situation I've got that I'm just going to have to settle on fish that adapt more readily to a higher PH environment and/or is it worth getting the bogwood?

Karen

 

[Mikaila31]

I'm guessing your tank is cycling which is why you have ammonia present, their are lots of threads on this forum about cycling.

I'm guessing that you mean the API master test kit. If so have you used the High Ph test kit?

When I use the regular ph test my water comes out at 7.6 and when using the High Ph test kit it still comes out a 7.6, so yours may not be high. A loach would not bothered by a ph of 7.6. Even though it did not drop when you added the ph decreaser does not mean that it was really high. Water has a buffering capacity which is the degree it resists changes. This article here goes into more detail. But the hardness of the water effects how easy it is to change the ph. The harder the water the more it is going to resist a change. Also no matter what the hardness is the water will eventually go back to its original PH. The article gives you some ways to lower PH, the best would be to use peat moss in the filter, it will naturally lower the ph and be more stable than the store products. You will still have to test your ph regularly, cuz the peat moss will eventually stop lowering the ph when you notice this the peat moss will have to be replace with new peat.

Here is a good link on clown loaches. they are slow growers, but it sounds like yours became stunted. Which is what will happen if they are kept in too small a tank. They stop growing in size, but their organ keep growing. eventually causing the fish's death. They really are not suited for your tank.

I suggest you look into smaller loaches like Botia which are better at eating snails and stay much smaller. Also all loaches should be in groups of at least 5.

 

[Nerak95]

Mikaila31,

Thanks for your response. Interesting to hear your comments on the clown loach. I did some reading online. I never realized they could get so big!

I did some more testing and all my levels are excellent as of this writing. I don't know where I got the idea of high ammonia levels. I must have been having a senior moment.

I'll go out and get a high PH test kit as well as some peat moss.

Do all loaches (the kind you recommended to get) need to be in groups of 5 or can I get away with having a single one?

Karen

 

[Mikaila31]

all loaches that I know of need groups

Their are skunk botia- which can be slightly aggressive, reach only 4".

Also Kuhli Loaches- their are a couple different species and the reach 2-4"

The skunk botia is going to be the better snail eater, but even so they aren't known for eating MTS, Not many things do. I have some and IMO the best way to control them is to make sure there isn't and leftover food.

 

[FishForMe]

Karen,

Adding driftwood to the aquarium will lower the pH. However, it does so by releasing tiny amounts of acid into the water, and not by resolving the fundamental problem that's causing elevated pH levels.

Mineral rich, HARD water, maintains a high pH. This effect is called "buffering capacity." The harder the water is the higher the buffering capacity is and, therefore, your aquarium water is more likely to maintain high pH levels. In effect, hard (mineral rich) water is causing your elevated pH levels. So, hard water is the culprit, it's the root cause of high pH!

You can decrease the hardness of your water (you can soften it), by mixing some mineral poor, SOFT water, into your aquarium. As this Aquarium Care article explains, you can add RO (reverse osmosis) water to your aquarium. RO water is pure water. It has no minerals in it and, hence, is very, very soft. You can buy this water in jugs at most grocery stores and, maybe, even at your LFS. Adding it yo your tank will lower the buffering capacity and will thus lower your pH (no chemical pH-lowering solutions necessary!).

Having said that, driftwood will also lower your pH, but it will do so by releasing tiny amounts of acid into your water.

Hope this helps

 

[hondadal]

That said RO water is not capable of supporting life on it`s own so you would need to use mineral additives with it or mix with your local water supply. This is the best way of lowering the hardness of your water but PH can be quite transient. it will react to the oxygen levels in the water,if you have relatively high oxygen levels you have high PH, in planted aquaria you will notice a fluctuation in levels of PH, when the lights are about to come on the levels will normally be substantially lower than they will be 8 to 10 hours later. A very good smaller Botia that eats snails would be Botia Dario, i have never known kuhli eat snail. Botia Dario are very tolerant fish but they still require companions of the same species. Good luck and happy fishkeeping, remember you are really a keeper of good water quality