my ph out of tap is around 8.0 but when its in my tank its around 7.2-7.4 im planning on keeping african cichlids should i add crushed coral? and since my ph is high out of the tap do i need to worry about adding buffers to the new water when i do water changes. or can i get by without messing with my ph?
Ph Question
- Thread starter sturtzzy
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Honestly, it's not worth messing with the PH if it's above 7. So 8 out of the tap sounds perfect, Not sure why your PH should drop in the tank unless there is something in there that is softening the water over time. Is there any wood or similar in the tank? If you really wanted to buffer the water aragonite sand would be better than coral sand IMO, but not essential.
Personally i'd make sure there was nothing softening the water, then just use the straight tap water.
Personally i'd make sure there was nothing softening the water, then just use the straight tap water.
DevotedToDiscus
Fish Herder
The pH drops, because the dissolved gases(CO2) in the water are released over the first few hours it is in the tank. CO2 lowers the pH, so when it is released the pH rises.
Well, to be more precise the reason the Ph out of the tap is higher and then it lowers once in the tank is not because of CO2 but other substances the water company adds to the water to keep the water less acidic while in the pipes(against corrosion for example).
To measure the actual Ph of the water, you should leave some tap water overnight in a clean glass and then measure the Ph of the water. That's your starting point.
However, in order to keep hard water species, you need to know the Gh levels specifically, and Kh as well as that's what determines whether you can keep them or not. The reason for that is that you can have high Ph and soft water at the same time so Ph is not an indication of hard water.
To measure the actual Ph of the water, you should leave some tap water overnight in a clean glass and then measure the Ph of the water. That's your starting point.
However, in order to keep hard water species, you need to know the Gh levels specifically, and Kh as well as that's what determines whether you can keep them or not. The reason for that is that you can have high Ph and soft water at the same time so Ph is not an indication of hard water.
DevotedToDiscus
Fish Herder
What happens to it in the glass overnight? The only reason that I know of for the change over night is the release of gases. Any additives that were put in the water would still be there the following day, wouldn't they?snazy said:
MojoDex said:Honestly, it's not worth messing with the PH if it's above 7. So 8 out of the tap sounds perfect, Not sure why your PH should drop in the tank unless there is something in there that is softening the water over time. Is there any wood or similar in the tank? If you really wanted to buffer the water aragonite sand would be better than coral sand IMO, but not essential.
Personally i'd make sure there was nothing softening the water, then just use the straight tap water.
I agree. Once you start messing around with ph levels you're basically stuck with doing it at each and every water change which can be a right pain.
Sturtzzy, what else do you have in the tank? Any wood for example? This could lower the ph.
no i do not have any wood just sand and rocksLunar Jetman said:
Honestly, it's not worth messing with the PH if it's above 7. So 8 out of the tap sounds perfect, Not sure why your PH should drop in the tank unless there is something in there that is softening the water over time. Is there any wood or similar in the tank? If you really wanted to buffer the water aragonite sand would be better than coral sand IMO, but not essential.
Personally i'd make sure there was nothing softening the water, then just use the straight tap water.
I agree. Once you start messing around with ph levels you're basically stuck with doing it at each and every water change which can be a right pain.
Sturtzzy, what else do you have in the tank? Any wood for example? This could lower the ph.
DevotedToDiscus
Fish Herder
The mains water is under high pressure, so the dissolved gases are compressed. Once it is out of the tap the gases start to be released. This is the reason why it is always better to use "aged" water. Some fish can be quiet sensitive to changes in pH, others not so.
Sodium hydroxide, chlorine for example and even ammonia in tap water will increase the Ph. These and others are normally used by water treatment companies. Then once that water goes in the tank or makes contact with air, or dissipates via water movement/surface agitation, or chemical reactions(such as chlorine breaking down, ammonia getting consumed by nitrifiers or escaping into air) then Ph will go down some.
Another stuff water companies use to raise the Ph would be calcium carbonate or even lime but these will also increase the hardness(Gh) due to the calcium content.
CO2, diluted hydrochloric acid/sulphuric acid and possibly others can be used to decrease the Ph and then once the water goes in the tank depending on the chemical compound and reactions the Ph can go back up.
So it all depends on the local tap water and regulations what they use, but it's quite common. In my area the Ph from tap comes out at 6.6(loaded with CO2) and then settles at ph of 7.4(CO2 escapes into the air via surface movement/air pump, etc.. or gets used up by plants, etc..)
In the OP's case it's hard to say what their water company adds but it's something to raise it because possibly the source water is too soft for drinking or unsafe while travelling in the pipes. So best is test the Gh, Kh and even TDS if one needs specific enviroment for water hardness sensitive species.
TwoTankAmin
Fish Connoisseur
Maybe this will help
Basically acid water is bad for metal pipes in the water distribution system. One way to raise the pH to counter this is to force the co2 out of the water in the system. This is the opposite of having too much co2 in one's water. This is typical of well water. My tap is about 6.2 until the excess co2 out gasses and the water settles at just over 7.0. In municipal systems the opposite occurs. Often this is because many of the treatments used acidify the water, and unwanted side effect. So the water company solves this in a way that lowers the co2 levels in the water which raises the pH. Once the water is aggitated for a while or allowed to sit in the open, the amount of dissolved co2 in the water will move towards its natural equilibrium. For some, this means pH will settle out higher while for others it means the pH will settle out lower. Which is why is is always best to aerate a tap water sample for a while before testing the pH.
Basically acid water is bad for metal pipes in the water distribution system. One way to raise the pH to counter this is to force the co2 out of the water in the system. This is the opposite of having too much co2 in one's water. This is typical of well water. My tap is about 6.2 until the excess co2 out gasses and the water settles at just over 7.0. In municipal systems the opposite occurs. Often this is because many of the treatments used acidify the water, and unwanted side effect. So the water company solves this in a way that lowers the co2 levels in the water which raises the pH. Once the water is aggitated for a while or allowed to sit in the open, the amount of dissolved co2 in the water will move towards its natural equilibrium. For some, this means pH will settle out higher while for others it means the pH will settle out lower. Which is why is is always best to aerate a tap water sample for a while before testing the pH.
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