Ph Drop

[jamcod]

my tank water has crashed to 5 on the ph scale i have since changed the water and its back up to 7 . this seems to be a problem with my tank ive only lost one fish in 2 years as i catch it in time . but after a week or so it starts to fall , my tank is an aqua one ar980 the water runs through the lid to get filtered and i also have a fluval 4 plus inside the tank. ive been told to put some line rock in to help as a buffer is that ok , any idea,s on on keeping my ph stable . jamcod

 

[WILDER]

So your tap ph is around 7, never do a large water change like you have done it's the worst thing you can do, as you are altering the ph to fast and the fish can go into ph shock.
How often do you maintain the tank.
Water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate would be good.
What substrate and decorations do you have in the tank.
How many fish and which tyoe.

 

[jamcod]

So your tap ph is around 7, never do a large water change like you have done it's the worst thing you can do, as you are altering the ph to fast and the fish can go into ph shock.
How often do you maintain the tank.
Water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate would be good.
What substrate and decorations do you have in the tank.
How many fish and which tyoe.

i top up the tank every 2 weeks i have plants and a little bog wood thats been in about 2 years . the gravel is medium roman gravel , fish rosy barbs tetra,s and rams all have been in 2years to 18 months its a 214ltr tank thats not over stocked , jamm

 

[WILDER]

Need to be doing a gravel vac and water change once a week.
Remove the bogwood its lowering your ph.

 

[jamcod]

Need to be doing a gravel vac and water change once a week.
Remove the bogwood its lowering your ph.

thanks wilder i shall try that with regards to the bog wood i was told as its been in 2 years it should be ok ? what you think . jamm

 

[WILDER]

Something lowering your ph and it sounds like the bogwood to drop if that low.
How large and how many peices are in the tank.

http/www.drhelm.com/aquarium/chemistry.html

 

[Anita]

Bigger water changes weekly

All fish have a pH range in which they feel comfortable (just as they do water temperature) most fish given time to adjust will live happily a little outside their recommended range. But keeping them way outside what suites them would not be acceptable, and would lead to an early death or poor health.
After a while have you ever found the pH of your tank falls a little? (aka…Old tank syndrome). This is due to the by-products left over from the nitrogen cycle slowly making our tank water more acidic. Eventually this affects the KH (buffering capacity of the water) and if uncorrected by regular water changes could lead to a pH crash. This is very dangerous for our fish and symptoms of Acidosis and alkalosis can occur these include
Fish desperately try to escape from their water often by actually jumping out.
Increased mucus production mucus may be seen trailing from the fish.
The blood will be affected and the fish will be short of oxygen and may be gasping at the surface.
Fins and the tail will fray and rot away.
The fish may go into shock (on it's side and gasping).
The fish will die and this can happen in a matter of hours if your water is soft with a kH less than 3 (like mine which has to be buffered)
Not nice is it?

This is why it is very important to continue your water changes, even when the tank is running along lovely and all seems to be going well

This is a little of an article I wrote for elsewhere, sorry if it comes over as a bit of a lecture but I'm pretty tired and don't feel like editing it I would get a kH testing kit it see what the reading is...your water may need a little buffering, this can be done pretty naturally by adding a little crushed coral gravel/oyster shells in one of your filter baskets. It's pretty slow to work and easy to monitor.

Hope it helps

Anita

 

[jamcod]

Something lowering your ph and it sounds like the bogwood to drop if that low.
How large and how many peices are in the tank.

http/www.drhelm.com/aquarium/chemistry.html

there,s two bits about a pound and a half each in weight . jamm

 

[crazie.eddie]

Can you test the pH of the water you use? Not the tank water. If you use tap water, test the pH when it comes and then test it again a few hours later after it has settled.

Since you have a planted tank, are you using CO2?

I doubt the wood would change the pH that much.

 

[jamcod]

Can you test the pH of the water you use? Not the tank water. If you use tap water, test the pH when it comes and then test it again a few hours later after it has settled.

Since you have a planted tank, are you using CO2?

I doubt the wood would change the pH that much.

hello crazie not using co2 have tested the tap water a couple of times its always been 7.5 ph but never let it stand shall try it . jamm

 

[jamcod]

Can you test the pH of the water you use? Not the tank water. If you use tap water, test the pH when it comes and then test it again a few hours later after it has settled.

Since you have a planted tank, are you using CO2?

I doubt the wood would change the pH that much.

hello crazie not using co2 have tested the tap water a couple of times its always been 7.5 ph but never let it stand shall try it . jamm

 

[jamcod]

Can you test the pH of the water you use? Not the tank water. If you use tap water, test the pH when it comes and then test it again a few hours later after it has settled.

Since you have a planted tank, are you using CO2?

I doubt the wood would change the pH that much.

hello crazie not using co2 have tested the tap water a couple of times its always been 7.5 ph but never let it stand shall try it . jamm

 

[jamcod]

Can you test the pH of the water you use? Not the tank water. If you use tap water, test the pH when it comes and then test it again a few hours later after it has settled.

Since you have a planted tank, are you using CO2?

I doubt the wood would change the pH that much.

hello crazie not using co2 have tested the tap water a couple of times its always been 7.5 ph but never let it stand shall try it . jamm

 

[WILDER]

I would still remove the bogwood to see if the ph starts to go up.

 

[jamcod]

I would still remove the bogwood to see if the ph starts to go up.

thanks for all your help i shall take them out and see what come.s of it . jamm