PH Problem!

[Mr_Ramirezi]

hi I'm new here, to this forum, I'm from Malta.

I currently have a 23 imperial gallon (around 28-29 us gallon) tank.. At the moment I have placed just 2 mollies...and a couple of plants...

I'm planning to put rasboras with mollies or tetras, however lately I was alarmed by lfs, saying that I can't introduce any fish becuase my PH reads 7.8-8.0 (more towards the sevenish)

I thought that being 7.0 is the right level 7.8 is not far off. (excuse my ignorance)
but according to the LFS i was commiting a crime not to lower my ph and he immediately sold me a bottle of Tetra PH minus

I arrive home log to this forum and see a message from one of the mods....
"Dont mess with the PH"

I am so confused ......could anyone explain pleassseeeee

thanks

 

[maestro]

No really dont mess with it, those treatments only work for a hort while then the ph rises again, this fluctuation is really unhealthy for the fish.

7.8 is totally fine, i keep simular fish in 8.2 and there look really colourfull and healthy.

 

[CFC]

Messing about with pH kills far more fish than a high pH ever has, fluctuations in pH cause immense levels of stress on fish which leaves them open to infections like ICH, fungus and bacterial diseases.
If you would like to keep fish which require water with a lower pH than your water supply has then i would recomend the use of a R/O unit to pre filter your tapwater before you use it for your aquarium, this will remove all the trace elements from the water (as well as any impurities and toxins) and leave you with very soft neutral pH water, so soft infact that you have to add some of the trace elements back to the water to make it stable enough to use. The R/O water can then be used for water changes and will slowly alter your pH to the level you require without stressing the fish and without the use of chemical additives which often ony work for a few hours before the natural buffers in hard water send the pH sky high again.
Other methods of lowering the pH in tanks are using CO2 injection (planted tanks only) and peat filtration http/hjem.get2net.dk/Best_of_the_Web/peat%20page.html but both of these will be less effective in hard water due to its buffering capacity.

 

[Mr_Ramirezi]

really thank u for your valuable help...


it is a treasure having experts like you at my disposable


thank u very much

 

[Mr_Ramirezi]

and the mess that i was going to do ..i ll return the bottle ph minus to the lfs store

thanks

 

[maestro]

Yeah take it back, and if they try and persuad eyou otherwise dont listen

 

[Mr_Ramirezi]

he was so unhappy....he said it's not our policy to accept returned goods...but then I managed to play it cooly....and i did took some food instead ...

 

[maestro]

Good for you, maybe go elsewhere in future

 

[Mr_Ramirezi]

Unfortunately, he is the best LFS of my island, but I will make sure that I will never by any chemicals unless needed..

thanks for cfc, so if i buy a co2 system (i have plants) it will lower my ph ?

i did now that...

thanks all

 

[CFC]

The addition of the CO2 will cause the pH in the aquarium to drop, the ammount it drops depends on the carbonate hardness, KH; of the water.
For more information on the use of CO2 and its effects post questions in the plants forum http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showforum=10 where the people who can give more detailed information will see your questions.

 

[Mr_Ramirezi]

thank u very much CFC

 

[Mr_Ramirezi]

hi all, I have checked my well water and i realized that my well water ph is darker in colour (blue) then the aquarium water so it should read ph 8 or 8.5

thanks

 

[Barday]

Hi Mr_Ramirezi I had a similar problem too, I went to my LFS last week to buy a partner for my golden ram. The lady at the LFS told me she would not sell me another ram because they need fairly acidic water and I had a ph of about 8. She also told me that ph down would not work in my tank because I am using a stone gravel substrate and I was also using rocks. She said that they all act as a PH buffer and the only way to acheive a stable lower PH would be to remove all my rocks/stones and change my substrate to a fine glass gravel

The thing is, is that I've had a ram in there for 3 weeks and it's been fine!?!

 

[Mr_Ramirezi]

i have gravel as a substrate as well, but people here are more in favour of keeping the ph stable rather then messing things up....

well and i tend to believe much more your opinions rather than those of the LFS


thank u barday - for ur opinion

 

[new fish lover]

I think drift wood lowers ph. You might ck into this. It would be a natural way to lower your ph.