PH dropped after adding water.

[outdoorzgirl]

Here is the problem. My tank is just alittle more than a week old. be . My tap tests 7.6. Okay when I started my malawi tank I added crushed coral to raise the ph and hopefully stabilize it. I have had it set up for about 1 1/2 weeks . Today I added some water to the tank to make up for evaporation. I checked the ph this evening and it had dropped to 7.8. It had remained a stable 8.4 until I added water today. My question is everytime I do a water change, etc..will my ph drop more? I want to at least keep it an 8.0. Should I use baking soda and if so, how much do I use? And do I have to use some each time I do a water change. I need some serious help in the area. My other question is I have this cichlid that I for the life of me cannot figure out what he is. I have looked everywhere. He is a juvie about 2..2 1/2 inches and a shade darker yellow than a yellow lab. Sometimes he even diplays stripes on his top fin like a yellow lab. At times..maybe when he is being bossy, he will have a black dot on each gill plate. He could pass for a yellow lab, if he were a shade lighter. But his attitude is bossy. He is a character. What species could he be? I can email a pic if needed. Thank you again for about the millionith time..I'll get all this right oneday

 

[sgtbirch]

yes the ph will drop every time you change the water although a drop from 8.4 -7.8 is probably not the best bot you malawi cichlids could probably handle it. .6 points drop seems alot to me how big is your tank and how much water did you add. It would take a bit of water to bring it down unless you have a small tank in which case it may be easier. Im not sure I would use baking soda. I hate to use chemicals If i can help it but you may add an alkaline buffer to help manage the ph in the tank making it harder to change. as you tank matures it will also stabalize. Cant help with the Id though. sorry

 

[outdoorzgirl]

I only added about 2.5 gallons and it made that much difference! I have a 55 gallon tank, so I would not have thought that minimal amount to have made much of a difference.

 

[cichlidmaster]

Outdoorzgirl,

A ph of 7.6 from the tap is more than sufficient for keeping malawi's happy!!

I too am not one that likes to adjust the ph for africans unless it is below7.0, for the very reason you are having problems with!!

Several years ago I purchased 100 pounds of a substrate called african cichlid mix. It's claim was it would bring and hold tap water at a ph of 8.3 with no buffers of any kind!!

About six months ago, I decided to try it in one of my tanks. It brought the ph up to 8.3 and within 14 hours the ph was back to 7.6!! It has been at 7.6 since then.

IMO/E crushed coral will NOT raise ph, only act as a buffer to keep the ph stable, and only with an undergravel filter. The water must be passed over the coral to get any benefit from it. I also used to use crushed coral w/ UGF's and no change in ph!!!

IMO you can easily keep your africans in your water without adding anything to it!!

As for the fish id, go ahead and post it in the picture forum and we can have a look see!!

CM

 

[outdoorzgirl]

Whew thank you. What a relief. I was worried all night long what I was going to do about that. I didn't want to have to go adding anything, because it sounded like a headache. I will post the pics of the little bugger in the Pic section. Many thanks once again