Ph Differences

[Too Fast]

Why is there such a difference between the pH of tap water and the pH in the tank? My tank is currently 0.8pH higher than the tap water.

The tank is stocked correctly, well panted and has 2 decent pieces of real bogwood.

What is causing the difference?

 

[BigIan]

What substrate do you have? could the substrate be buffering the ph?

 

[Too Fast]

It is a bag of standard aquarium gravel.

It is only 6-7 weeks old though so would that cause a higher pH just now and calm down when the set up is more mature?

 

[BigIan]

could well be, but can`t be 100% sure

 

[jameshughes1989]

Have you any wood in your tank?

Scrap that, I believe wood would lower it.

 

[roadmaster]

Any rock decor in the tank that may contain minerals?
Over time(months), the pH in many tanks begins to drift downward due to natural process of organic breakdown. Is why weekly water changes are important. Not only do water changes remove/dilute excess organics,, they keep the water conditions close to that of the source water.
I might perform the test (pH) a couple times to be certain and would maybe try liquid test kit if strips are rendering the results posted.

 

[Too Fast]

I have no rock decor and as I said I use real bogwood.

Weekly water changes are done 20% every 6 days rather than 7 days. That has only recently been upped from 10% water changes.

I'm using an API master test kit for my readings.

Should upping to 20% or 40% twice weekly changes help?

 

[roadmaster]

I have no rock decor and as I said I use real bogwood.

Weekly water changes are done 20% every 6 days rather than 7 days. That has only recently been upped from 10% water changes.

I'm using an API master test kit for my readings.

Should upping to 20% or 40% twice weekly changes help?

I should think 40 or 50 percent once a week would be suffcient.
Once the tank settles (couple months), then things should be more stable. So long as fish aren't exhibiting abnormal behaivor ,then I would not worry too much.

 

[CrystalClear16]

It should rise I believe. Tap water has CO2 in it which disappears when it is left to stand. The CO2 lowers the PH, so as it disappears the PH rises.

The change is normal.

 

[Too Fast]

The fish are perfectly healthy and show no signs of abnormal behavior - the pH would have been the same in my last tank (Not something I ever worried about before so never checked it ) . My concern is that the pH is too high and I want it down. I don't want to go down the route of putting peat in the filter or using chemicals for fear of unstability.

I am just hoping it sorts its self out after a couple of months.