Ph Level

[sted]

hi i have tested my ph level two days on the run and it seems to be raising i have done a 50% water change and its still high.

i went to my local fish shop today and they said that the water in the area is very high and i need to buy a supplement. but they never sold one.

any ideas people?

sorry if this a bit of a silly question

 

[spectrum]

Bogwood (NOT pre soaked) and dead oak leaves (Not too many) are two things that lower the pH nicely, taking it down to around 6, which a lot of fish, such as tetra will thank you for a lot. The water will go yellowish due the tannins they release, but they don't harm fish and many argue that tannins have a health benefit.

 

[sted]

will the water stay yellow ish.

and also does any one understand what he means by supplement?

 

[mattlee]

what is your pH reading?

suppliments are chemicals that can be added to water to try and lower pH levels but can get very tricky and when doing water changes it needs to be exact otherwise the fish will have a fluctuating pH level that isnt good for them. also the chemicals dont last long so regular checks on pH are needed and treated to suit, again with caution as too much or too less can cause fluctuating levels....
this is why most people will steer clear of these products

bogwood, peat and indian almond leaves/oak leaves can lower the pH but by nothing massive and you will have stained water by the tannins leached from them. carbon added to the filter will remove the tannins but to add these to lower pH is hardly worth it as it will be so minimal.

without knowing what your pH is its hard to advise but if its between 6-8 then you should be fine with most fish. i have tetras, discus and corys all at pH 7.6/7.8 and they are fine. a pH that doesnt change is much better than a fluctuating one and much easier for the fish to settle and climatise to.

 

[sted]

ok i will look into it the reading at the moment is 8.2 i thought this is very high but in the past the reading as always been at around 7.6 so not sure what to do. buying bogwood would mean i have to redesign my tank but hey change is good.

i have clown loaches, neons, guppys, mollys, in the tank as it only the community tank

ok i will look into it the reading at the moment is 8.2 i thought this is very high but in the past the reading as always been at around 7.6 so not sure what to do. buying bogwood would mean i have to redesign my tank but hey change is good.

i have clown loaches, neons, guppys, mollys, in the tank as it only the community tank

 

[Biulu]

I have very hard water here, around 8.4 and my bogwood has been able to get it down to 6.8, which has finally allowed me to keep fish like rams, neons etc.

 

[mattlee]

I have very hard water here, around 8.4 and my bogwood has been able to get it down to 6.8, which has finally allowed me to keep fish like rams, neons etc.

that seems quite a big drop in pH just from bogwood.... especially as the water is hard as it doesnt normally have much buffering capacity. bogwood has never altered my pH by more than 0.2 ish so not really a massive difference.

 

[sted]

if it has that little effect what can i do to drop it by about 1 to get me down to, 7.6 ish

i found this would it work?

 

[mattlee]

if it has that little effect what can i do to drop it by about 1 to get me down to, 7.6 ish

i found this would it work?

these are the "suppliments" you were told about by the lfs.... i would stay well clear of these... most fish can be climatised to a certain pH, how long has your tank been set up?
how long have the fish been in?
have you added anything to the tank like new rocks or ornaments etc?
have you tested the tap water?
how are you testint the water, with liquid based kit or test strips?

 

[sted]

these are the "suppliments" you were told about by the lfs.... i would stay well clear of these... most fish can be climatised to a certain pH, how long has your tank been set up?
how long have the fish been in?
have you added anything to the tank like new rocks or ornaments etc?
have you tested the tap water?
how are you testint the water, with liquid based kit or test strips?

am using the API master test liquid based test kit and i havent tested the tap water but i could do! and also i have added some stones recently the tank has been set up for a while and added new fish in the other day.

 

[mattlee]

ok test the tap water first if that is what it normally is then we look elsewhere

 

[sted]

ok so tested the tap water and that is 7.6 and also tested the tank again and that is now at 8.0

the amonia is at 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 25

should i do another water change ?

 

[mattlee]

so the tap water is the same as its always been then, am i right?

if so what are the rocks you added?

can you remove 1 and wipe it dry then add a few drops of vinegar? if the vinegar makes the rock fizz then this is the problem. as they will be a limestone type that will buffer the water. these rocks are normally kept in african ciclid tanks to raise the pH as the fish prefer pH of 8+.

get back with the results and we can take it further

 

[sted]

so the tap water is the same as its always been then, am i right?

if so what are the rocks you added?

can you remove 1 and wipe it dry then add a few drops of vinegar? if the vinegar makes the rock fizz then this is the problem. as they will be a limestone type that will buffer the water. these rocks are normally kept in african ciclid tanks to raise the pH as the fish prefer pH of 8+.

get back with the results and we can take it further

i tested all the stone when i put them in with vinegar but will check again when i get home

and yes the tap water is at the level which has alwayts been

what else could it be
?

 

[mattlee]

how long has the tank been set up?

i take it that its cycled......