Tap Water Results

[ebrcknrdg]

I have just started day one of fishless cycling my tank (after letting it stand for three days) I tested the tap water and its quite pleasing really

ammonia 0.25
nitrites 0
nitrates 10
but Ph was pretty high at 7.4.

Im aware that the water mains pipes have just been replaced (yesterday) so this might be having an effect on the results. I will test it again in about a week as well as testing my tank water every day or so to see if ammonia is dropping. If the Ph is still as high is there anyway i can lower it, as i want to keep neons, zebra danios and Platies

Cheers guys

 

[rdd1952]

7.4 really isn't high. It's not neutral but certainly not anything that would be a problem for most fish. As you mentioned, the the new water lines could have something to do with the ammonia and nitrate readings but it's quite possible that the readings are correct and those items are present in your normal tap water.

I wouldn't worry about trying to lower the pH. Most fish can easily adapt to any stable pH even if it is outside their optimal range. Steady is the key word. If you do decide to try to adjust it, use natural items such as driftwood or running peat in your filter. Stay away from the chemical adjusters as they will just keep the pH in constant swing up and down which is way worse for the fish than a pH that's maybe a little high for them but at least stable.

 

[ArauraDiscus]

Rdd would disagree with me ardently as he always has on this ussue, but I will say it again. I agree with him that 7.4 is hardly high at all, but in this case, you can use sodium biphosphate products to lower the Ph. Neons are one of the less adaptable fish in the trade today, especially among the three that you mentioned. I'd very slowly lower the Ph to 7.0, slightly acidic. This will make the neons happy and won't bother the other two fish. Neons just tend to be more delicate, thats why my rule of community tanking is design my water perameters around the most delicate fish in the tank. This will help you to have a happy and healthy set-up. I think rdd can finally agree with something, like what I put in bold.

 

[ebrcknrdg]

Great advice as ever guys! You lot on here are a god send.

I shall test Ph in the tap water again in a week and see if there is a change. If its still 7.4 i shall try to lower it. I do have driftwood to put into the tank so will this lower or higher the Ph? If not i will try what you advise.

 

[blue acara]

A ph of 7.4 and nitrate of 10ppm-lucky you My tap water is 8.2 and 40-50 ppm nitrate and I have kept neons in it successfully in the past. No need for chemicals imo.

 

[Tolak]

While pH will vary with a cycling tank, sometimes wildly, driftwood will usually lower the pH. Your results with adjusting the pH with chemicals will be affected by water hardness, as hardness stabilizes pH. I wouldn't worry about neons with a pH of 7.4, I breed angels, a fish that comes from waters with a lower ph, in water that averages 7.7. Adjusting pH with chemicals can lead to pH fluctuations, something that is much worse for fish than a stabe, but slightly elevated pH.

 

[RadaR]

Yes, I agree with Tolak and rdd1952. Sometimes I wish people would leave their pHs alone. Only very sensitive species may need it lowered or increased.

 

[ebrcknrdg]

Ok guys ill leave the Ph well alone. Like i said the water mains pipes are newly replaced so i dont know if thats making my tests come out wrong but i will check them again in a week

 

[ArauraDiscus]

Yeah but this goes hand in hand with the mollies like salt thing. They are adaptable yes, but do best in brackishwater. Just like angels will thrive in alkaline water but do best in slightly acidic. I still feel that basing your ph around the most sensitive fish you have is the best idea. Also having a slightly acidic water will make sure that you don't have major problems with ammonia as ammonia is less toxic in acidic water. Also adding a buffering/ph lowering solution will not cause rapid fluctuations. You can lower your ph and then add a buffer to keep it stable. That is hardly a difficult thing to accomplish. Also people fail to realize that some chemicals are neccessary to lower a ph or create a good environment for fish because a small fish tank is hardly self-sustaining as apposed to an vast ecosystem. WHat I mean by that is the environment uses these "chemicals" all the time and these chemicals effect the water quality. Also what many people fail to realize is that these so very horrible chemicals are actually often found throughout the earth. Sodium Biosulfate is a natural, I repeat natural compound that often lowers the Ph of water in some environments. When talking about fish hobby chemicals, we should be using this monomer lightly because we aren't always dealing with soap or detergents or pesticides, we are actually dealing with one simple and natural compound that has been harvested and presented to you in a neat little bottle or package.

 

[Tolak]

Generally speaking, tap water with a higher pH has increased hardness, making lowering & maintaining a lower pH difficult, if not often impossible. Total dissolved solids also need to be taken into consideration, S.A. species that come from waters with a lower pH & hardness also come from water with a lower tds. By adding most anything to your water you are increasing tds, even if what you are adding lowers the pH.

The opposite works quite well if you have softer water with a lower pH, and are trying to make it more suitable for African cichlids. You can more easily increase the pH, which increased tds, and stabilize by increasing the hardness, yet more tds, which is what those sort of fish need.

Bottom line; if you have water with a higher pH, which is often harder, you need to remove substances, not add them. This is where ro water comes in, you can start with a blank slate so to speak, adjusting pH, hardness, and tds to whatever parameters you desire.

 

[ebrcknrdg]

Oh dear now im slightly confused. Think it may just be best to get fish suited to my Ph rather than trying to mess around with it. I did have my heart set on neons though as ive always had them in the past. That said though they are usually the first to show symptoms if anything is wrong with the tank (i.e disease) thus emphasisng they are not a hardy fish as some claim.

Another question will tap water Ph always be the same as tank water? Does the Ph alter at all when its been in the tank a few days?

 

[Tolak]

Think it may just be best to get fish suited to my Ph rather than trying to mess around with it.

You have hit on one of the most important things for a beginning aquarist. You will have an easier start by doing this. Generally neons are not a very hardy fish because most all are wild caught, so they must endure a long shipping procedure, acclimation to water parameters at a shop, then in your tank. Your best bet with neons is to find an independantly owned shop, and ask if they are running tap water which is the same as yours. This will help with getting them acclimated to your aquarium.

The pH in your tank may be lower than you tap water if you have driftwood, and in some cases the pH will change in about 24 hours depending on what your water company does with the water. This is usually nothing to be concerned about with most common fish, because when it rains fish in the wild get an influx of water that is differing in temperature, pH, hardness, and tds than what they are living in.

 

[ArauraDiscus]

In addition, from what i understand, nearly 80 percent of neons die in the wild each year. So they aren't particularly the hardiest fish, as only the absolute best stock survive to mate.

 

[vinylman]

Oh dear now im slightly confused. Think it may just be best to get fish suited to my Ph rather than trying to mess around with it. I did have my heart set on neons though as ive always had them in the past. That said though they are usually the first to show symptoms if anything is wrong with the tank (i.e disease) thus emphasisng they are not a hardy fish as some claim.

Another question will tap water Ph always be the same as tank water? Does the Ph alter at all when its been in the tank a few days?

As has been said, ph will lower slightly over time anyway. Just add a couple of nice pieces of bogwood. Neons aren't great in a new tank anyway, so choose something else as a first addition and add the Neons in a couple of months when the tank has matured. All you should need to add to your tankwater is fresh, dechlorinated water and perhaps some liquid fertiliser for the plants. That's it - no bottles of 'up this' or 'down that'. Don't waste time worrying about ph, I keep Cardinals in a ph of 7.2; I added them to my tank three months after setting it up, I just acclimatised them very slowly. As long as you avoid EXTREMES of ph, you (and your fish) will be absolutely fine. Choose your first fish, get the Neons later and don't waste time worrying about it. Use the time to enjoy your fish.