Ph Too Low?

Bridie · Feb 7, 2010

Hi,
just having a problem with my new shrimp tank. The tap water is pretty soft (don´t know exactly, but you hardly get any lime residues). The pH is 6 when it comes out the tap, and so it is in my tank, measured today in the afternoon. Yesterday morning one of my red cherrys was lying on it´s back, thought it was dead. Another one looking lethargic. Fished the dead one out, but it was still moving a bit, so I put it in some fresh water, and it recovered! Took the whole day though. Today all 5 are looking well. Did a 50% waterchange yesterday and got a testkit (pH, Nitrite, Nitrate, Ammonium) today. Ph 6! NO3, NO2, NH3 below threshhold of test. I think there was too much Co2 building up overnight (loads of plants), which was either too much for the shrimp or the CO2 lowered the pH ever further. I didn´t dare to switch off the light last night. Got an airpump today, but it doesn´t work :-(

, have to bring it back. Would it be wise to harden the water with crushed seashells or commercial hardening salt to increase the buffer capacity? I don´t really want to mess with the water parameters, but it seems as I had no choice. Running the light 24/7 can´t be a longterm solution.
Thanks,
Bridie

jacko32 · Feb 7, 2010

hi my pH is also 6.0 from my taps where do you live im in huddersfield west yorkshire
i used crushed coral in my filter to get the kH up takes a couple of weeks though i found the nutrafin kH booster worked well untill the coral kicked in

Bridie · Feb 7, 2010

Thanks. Live 15miles north of glasgow-15miles from any LFS. I wil try to get some crushed coral asap and get a new airpump. Guess I´ll just leave the lights on, don´t want the CO2 build-up to crash my pH again!

jacko32 · Feb 7, 2010

i bought all my stuff off ebay i found it cheaper and it was a lot more convenient

also a tea spoon of bicarbonate of soda will bring your pH back up straight away a lot of people use this method

Bridie · Feb 7, 2010

That´s true. Just like to go shopping, spending enough time sitting on my sofa surfing the internet, like I do at the minute lol. Saves money though. Still have to go back to exchange this airpump...
Heard about the Bicarbonat. Only have baking powder in the house, it´s with added riceflour and stuff, don´t want that in my tank! I´ll have a look tomorrow if coop or spar (that´s the choice I have here) have the plain bicarbonat.