Interesting Ph Levels In My 4footer

[Snooks1!]

I've had my 4foot tank set up for a few days now, just water and sand. I figured that a ph check was in the works. Now, my normal tap ph runs 7.4-7.6...However, readings in the tank were off the charts on my high-end ph indicator...which reads up to 8.8

My main query being: Could the sand (playsand) have made the ph jump that much, could it have?

Hopefully it will go down with some water changes and when I put my driftwood in there...Hopefully.

 

[WILDER]

Is the tank cycling.

 

[Snooks1!]

Just water and sand, as per op.

 

[Mr._Fishy]

Did you rinse the tank and sand? I would test your other tanks with the same test kit and do another test on the 4 foot just to make sure.

Ryan

 

[Snooks1!]

Rinsed both tank and sand, I will test my other tanks in a bit. Thinking it may be a bad batch?

 

[Snooks1!]

I tested my other tanks...At first I tested my oldest and most mature tank, I got an off the chart reading...Then I got to thinking I might not have cleaned the tube out well enough, lo and behold that was the case as the ph of that tank was 7.7, and all other tanks were between 7.4-7.8.

 

[Snooks1!]

le'bump

 

[Snooks1!]

No takers?

 

[Mr._Fishy]

So what's the problem? If your tank's pH is in the same range as the other tanks, isn't that good? Or am I misinterpreting something?

Ryan

 

[Snooks1!]

80 gal is off the charts.

Other tanks are normal.

 

[Mr._Fishy]

Scoop a bit of the playsand into a bucket and let it sit overnight. Test the water in the morning. If it goes up to similar levels, it probably is the play sand.

Ryan

 

[Snooks1!]

And if it is the sand...How would I go about fixing that,other than chemicals or adding wood, or would these be my only options... aside from binning the sand?