Ph Problem My Ph Is Right Down To Yellow 6.0

[bubba]

Hi i checked my ph in my communtiy tank

this is the one i had the ammonia problem with

i have only lost one fish

thank been set up for months was 6.6 now its down to 6

current stock
12 guppies
4 cat fish
11 platies
and ten neons

size about 55 litres

ammonia is 0 from what i can tell

Should i put some ph up in it or just leave it
fish all seem happy

thanks

 

[Schmill]

I wouldn't use PH up until you can identify the cause.
What is the Ph of your tap water? (Usually best to leave the tap water out for 24hrs, then test it)

If there is a significant difference then the PH can be brought up gradually by doing a series of water changes over the course of a week. I'd guess at around 30% each time, but someone else can probably give you a better idea on the amount.

Also once you can state the Ph of the tap water people can advise the amount to change, or even if it is going to help.

 

[petertr]

If there's something in your tank causing the pH to fall, then simple water changes will help.

If you're tap water is 6.6, then I guess its very soft - that means that even a very small amount of substance can cause a large swing in pH.


If this is the case, you might want to consider using a substrate that will buffer your water for you. Chemicals are not the way forward.

 

[andywg]

Chemicals can help. If it should transpire that the KH is too low, dosing with baking soda will buffer the KH and aid in stopping the pH sliding.

 

[bubba]

hi thanks its gone up and down so much its annoying

I will leave water in test thing for 24 hours and check

will it hurt my fish?

 

[jonnyf84]

Sounds to me like you've got a ridiculously low KH and that you aren't doing weekly water changes as you should with such a low KH. If your PH gets below 5.5 the the Nitrogen cycle will stop and create a ammonia build up, this is what could have happened with your last ammonia problems.

Don't add baking soda straight to the tank, it will instantly change the PH by at least 1 whole point and a change like this will really stress your fish and could kill them or at the very least it will lower the immune system because of stress.

Doing regular small water changes is the best way to get your PH back up to normal and after that do regular large water changes (at least weekly) to keep your water buffed.

Your fish will be happy at the moment as a slow gradual change in PH or KH will not effect the fish at all, it is only sudden changes that harms them and this is as important with KH as well as PH.

That said you need to get it back to normal gradually otherwise your PH will drop below 5.5 and then the nitrogen cycle will stall and this will create a ammonia build up again.

Get a KH test kit and test your tap water.

Good luck.


EDIT: also when you use baking soda it is not only the initial instant change that you've got to worry about but after a week or so the buffering capacity of the baking soda will have gone and just as instantly your PH will drop back to its original level. Baking soda can have its uses but it is best avoided IMO.

 

[bubba]

hi i been channging water half each week
I will change some more tonight grrr

i had endless problems with this one tank

the other 2 are ok

it wont be the small peice of drift wood thats been in there for younks

 

[jonnyf84]

it wont be the small peice of drift wood thats been in there for younks

i very much doubt it.

I know many people will disagree but sometimes you will just get a dud tank that no matter what you do, just won't work. I've set up enough breeding tanks to experience it once myself and it was infuriating. Go into a fish shop and i bet the fishkeeper has had the same problem before. I'm not saying yours is like this but it can and does happen.

 

[bubba]

aww ok johhnny i notice the tank makes a thump noise when the lights been off a while
i think thats the plastic on the top and sides from it being hot !!!!


well i had tank for 6 months now only lost 2 fish one died platy and one other platty got dropsy lol

 

[OldMan47]

If you have a very low KH, a piece of driftwood can very easily move the pH. We usually don't worry too much about the driftwood because most tanks have an adequate buffer in them but if you don't it can move fast on you.

 

[rdd1952]

What is your nitrate reading? High nitrates can lower pH. That's a pretty heavy stock you have in a 14 gallon tank, you could have high nitrates. If you're doing a 50% water changes a week though that shouldn't be an issue as you should be removing them. On the other hand, that should keep your pH very close to tap pH too. What type test kit are you using?

Low pH for the fish you have isn't necessarily a bad thing. The platies prefer a pH of about neutral or above but the neons and guppies will be fine in the low 6s or high 5s.

If you do decide to raise it back up, use baking soda. The pH up chemicals don't last. Baking soda will buffer the water up and keep it much more stable.

 

[bubba]

hi ya we dont have a nitrate test kitt
i will change the water and see

the test kitt i have i broke the tube i was told the amout of water is the same from the ammonia kitt

its a delux ph test kitt

when i can afford it i will get the whole set

tehy have one on here for 50 dollars

 

[OldMan47]

It sounds like you should not get one there. A master test kit can be had on line for about $20. In the meantime, the API kits all use a 5 ml test measurement so the pH and ammonia test tubes are the same and just need a good rinse between tests.

 

[andywg]

Don't add baking soda straight to the tank, it will instantly change the PH by at least 1 whole point and a change like this will really stress your fish and could kill them or at the very least it will lower the immune system because of stress.

Surely it will depend on how much is added?

1 teaspoon per 20 gallons, for example, will not do the same as 1 tea spoon per 1 gallon.

Such alarmist posts are in nobody's interest.

EDIT: also when you use baking soda it is not only the initial instant change that you've got to worry about but after a week or so the buffering capacity of the baking soda will have gone and just as instantly your PH will drop back to its original level. Baking soda can have its uses but it is best avoided IMO.

How strange, that something which is advocated in reef tanks (which have far more sensitive inhabitants) is seen as some black art in keeping FW fish.

 

[petertr]

Kh and Gh test results would really help here - people are having to guess, but with these readings, we could pin down the problem, I beleive.