Very High Ph Level

i got the gravel from pets at home and i know what you mean about the chart they are hard to read the 9.5 reading matched but the one i just did was between 7.5 and 8.0 :blink:
 
Thats why I don't buy nutrafin test kits as there colour charts are terrible.
Tetra test kits are good as you can tell what your readings are.
I would get it tested at the lfs and see what they say.
The gravel should be fine if its from a fish place.
 
The gravel should be fine then.
Best to get your water tested at the lfs, or buy a new ph test kit with a good chart that you can tell the readings on.
Also I always steralise the tube before I do a test, there might of been something in the tube altering the ph reading.
 
right thank you for all your help .. just one more thing are my fish in any danger of gettin ill or dying
 
if the ph is 8 its fine.
Get you a ph shock article it tells you what to look for like excess slime on fish and laying on the bottom of the tank.

pH Shock

As its name suggests this condition occurs when a fish is introduced to quickly into a new environment which has a very different pH from the one it came from, when the pH is adjusted to quickly and the fish have little or no time to adjust themselves, or when the pH is to far outside the fishes normal range.

It is very important that any change in water chemistry is made slowly and fish should never be exposed to changes of pH greater than 0.5 of one unit on the pH scale in either direction.

Avoidance is by far the best solution because in most cases the symptoms don't appear until the second or third day by which time the damage has been done and the fish will probably die.

A fish suffering from this condition will show all the typical signs of shock -

Lying on the bottom and paying little or no attention to its surroundings and ignoring potential threats.
It may even lay on its side or go upside down completely.
There could be other signs to, related to Acidosis and Alkalosis
Excessive mucus production.
Rapid breathing.
Swollen abdomen. (Alkalosis only).
If the condition is allowed to go on for one or two days then the chances of a successful remedy are greatly reduced because a lot of damage will have taken place. If the symptoms are spotted early enough there are a couple of things that will help.

Begin to return the pH to the original pH in steps of 0.4 of one unit on the pH scale and allow 3 hrs in between the adjustments. Make these adjustments until the pH is returned to a safe and satisfactory level.
Treat the tank with a broad spectrum anti-Bacteria/Fungus compound to prevent secondary infections of the Skin and Gills.
Prevention is easy. A successful treatment isn't!
 
rite thanks very much i will go to the lfs on friday thanks again
 
Good luck just hope the test kit reading was wrong.
 
right thank you for all your help .. just one more thing are my fish in any danger of gettin ill or dying


Fish need stability in the pH as they can adapt to different conditions. The danger lies in a pH swing caused by too large of a water change. If your tank is at 8.0 and your tap is 7.0, a 50% water change would swing your pH too much for some fish to handle.
 
ok thanks for that i just hope the reading is wrong thanks everyone !!
 

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