Ph Level Too High

[merlecollins]

Hi all,

I'm brand new to the aquarium world....

I've bought a Tetra tank with Tetratec heater and filter system.

That was over two weeks ago, I filled the tank straight away and included some Tapsafe additive in the water.

I have taken a few samples of my water to the local pet store (they test the water free of charge for you) and have had the latest sample rejected today, when I was told my Ph level was at 9 and should be nearer 6 or 7.... I have now been and bought a bag of 'Interpet Ph Down Easy Adjust' additive, but am bamboozled as to how much I need to add to the tank - can anyone offer some advise?

 

[Tolak]

You have to understand that hardness stabilizes pH. Generally the only consistent & safe way to adjust pH is to start with reverse osmosis water, which has been stripped of all mineral content, which is what hardness is.

You may get the pH to drop using additives, but generally water with a high pH is quite hard. This will cause the pH to rise back up in short order. A stable pH is much safer for fish, even if it is outside of their suggested range. There are also species that thrive in water with a higher pH and hardness. Adjusting water parameters is tricky business, choosing stock that is compatable with your water is much easier.

There is no ideal pH, it varies by species. There are many African rift lake species that would do well in your water.

 

[hybwolf]

There should be directions on the package. Did you purchase a ph test kit? It's going to be tough adding a buffer to a tank that has such a high ph without testing. Adding buffers to alter ph is not always easy. Sometimes the ph will hold and sometimes it will re bound back fast. You will need to test ph daily for a while till you get a good idea how long the added buffer will last. You will also need to test the water that you use for your weekly water changes. You don't want to dump water with a ph of 9 into a tank that has been adjusted to ph 7 or so.

 

[merlecollins]

You have to understand that hardness stabilizes pH. Generally the only consistent & safe way to adjust pH is to start with reverse osmosis water, which has been stripped of all mineral content, which is what hardness is.

You may get the pH to drop using additives, but generally water with a high pH is quite hard. This will cause the pH to rise back up in short order. A stable pH is much safer for fish, even if it is outside of their suggested range. There are also species that thrive in water with a higher pH and hardness. Adjusting water parameters is tricky business, choosing stock that is compatable with your water is much easier.

There is no ideal pH, it varies by species. There are many African rift lake species that would do well in your water.

Thanks for that Tolak

I know the water where we are is quite hard as a friend of mine has to get his electric immersion heater de-scaled on a regular basis.

When I consider what has been advised, it's common sense that the Ph will rise to a high level again the very next time I clean the tank out

Therefore, you're right in advising me that I should get fish that will be happy in that level of alkaline - cold you offer a few fish options that I have?

 

[Tolak]

Suitable species would depend on the tank size, and what you would like to get out of your aquarium. Some people like a more laid back relaxing tank, others enjoy more aggressive species.

Needless to say, there are plenty of fish to choose from!

 

[merlecollins]

Suitable species would depend on the tank size, and what you would like to get out of your aquarium. Some people like a more laid back relaxing tank, others enjoy more aggressive species.

Needless to say, there are plenty of fish to choose from!

Oh it's only a small tank mate - 2 feet wide x 1 foot deep x 1.5 feet high

When you say aggressive, what exactly do you mean?

 

[Tolak]

Some species are very aggressive, will chase, nip, and otherwise harass other fish to death. These are often kept as a species only, pair, or individual in a tank. Others are a bit less aggressive, and this aggression can be controlled to a large extent by the decorations used, which is usually a substantial amount of rockwork where African cichlids are concerned, or overstocking to some extent to spread aggression. Other fish are quite easy going, get along well with other peaceful fish, and are a bit easier to work stocking around.

Why would people want aggressive fish? These are often the most colorful and active. Their natural interaction can be interesting to watch, and many people like the challenge of keeping these species.

 

[merlecollins]

Some species are very aggressive, will chase, nip, and otherwise harass other fish to death. These are often kept as a species only, pair, or individual in a tank. Others are a bit less aggressive, and this aggression can be controlled to a large extent by the decorations used, which is usually a substantial amount of rockwork where African cichlids are concerned, or overstocking to some extent to spread aggression. Other fish are quite easy going, get along well with other peaceful fish, and are a bit easier to work stocking around.

Why would people want aggressive fish? These are often the most colorful and active. Their natural interaction can be interesting to watch, and many people like the challenge of keeping these species.

Thanks for that

Is there anywhere on the internet I can look for a list of fish that will flourish in a Ph level of 9?

 

[Tolak]

Post in the African/Old World Cichlids section here! Your tank is around 22 gallons, you know what your pH is, many members here keep these sort of fish.

Make sure to read up on cycling, while the tank cycled you will have time to research stocking, and where to get these species.

BTW, welcome to TFF!

 

[Gr44]

I also have very hard water and high pH, I did loads and loads... and loads of reading up and came to the conclusion that the fish would adjust.

My pH is around 8-8.2 from the tap and about ~420ppm of GH (If I recall right).

I went through the fishless cycle for months and when it finally finished I put 14 Glowlight Tetra's in, which typically like a pH around ~7.

The fish have been there for about a week and a half and none have been lost so far, however they do have fin rot which I can only assume is at least in part down to the hard water and high pH. In retrospect I probably should have got fish that really would have enjoyed my crazy hard water. However that isn't what I read (but you can obviously choose to pick the bits you want to hear quite easily!).

Anyway, I was recomended 'Shell Dweller' fish which apprantly really like your sort of water, I don't have any exact names but I'm sure some googling or looking at my past threads will soon come up with details!

Best of luck!

Sean

 

[Tolak]

Many fish are quite adaptable. I've bred many new world species which like softer water & a lower pH in my pH 7.7 somewhat hard tap water. Many livebearers such as swords, platys, mollys, and guppys would do fine in harder water with a higher pH.

 

[OldMan47]

People who have very hard water and small tanks often end up with things like shellies. My own preference is the livebearers and many of those also prefer very hard water with a pH over 7.5. It would be best if you looked around at your LFS and asked them to suggest good fish for hard water and high pH. If you then come back here to ask about compatibility, we can probably get you a preliminary stock list by the time your tank is cycled.