What Is Making My Ph Drop?

[abe]

Every time I tested my ph it was the lowest number/color, around 6.0. But today I had my water tested at a pet store, and it was VERY high, I think around 8.8.

So I came home & tested, found the same results I always have... My 40g & 20g are 6.0, but my 15g is 6.6, and straight tap water is 7.2. What could be making it drop like this?? I thought maybe somehow it was the sand in the first two tanks, but the 15g (which has gravel) is still a little low.

Any ideas??

 

[Boxermom]

Its more likely a problem with your test kit than your water.

 

[abe]

I hope thats not the problem, they can be expensive

Maybe I'll get a simple ph tester when I'm out there again & see.

 

[guppymonkey]

Why are you testing your pH? Are you trying to keep species that need it? Most fish don't need a specific pH. The whole idea of getting your pH to 7 is just a myth that pet stores make up to sell chemicals that change your pH.

Anyways, what kind of test kit do you and the pet store use? If one of you uses those dip test strips you can be fairly sure that the test is off. Those test strips do not work very well, they are almost notorious for their inaccuracy. The drop test kits are a lot more accurate.

 

[wodesorel]

What the gH of the water? The general hardness. This is the buffer that keeps your pH stable, without it, the pH falls through the floor. I have the same problem with my tap water - from the tap it's 8.8, within 24 hours its 6.4 and 24 hours after that it's 6.0. The gH of my water is 0ppm. For some reason that I cannot explain, when I switched to Seachem Prime water conditioner - which is supposed to do nothing to buffer or affect the pH of water - my pH stabilized at 7.2.... I can't explain it other than it must be some chemical in the tap water that's being neutralized by the Prime.

Just wanted to through this out there for ya.

 

[PinkyPerky]

My pH result always comes out different to the result in my lfs. I use the API Freshwater Test Kit, don't know what lfs uses, but my readings always come out fine and their's always shows I've got a lower pH and a trace of Nitrite

 

[robyngunston]

What the gH of the water? The general hardness. This is the buffer that keeps your pH stable, without it, the pH falls through the floor. I have the same problem with my tap water - from the tap it's 8.8, within 24 hours its 6.4 and 24 hours after that it's 6.0. The gH of my water is 0ppm. For some reason that I cannot explain, when I switched to Seachem Prime water conditioner - which is supposed to do nothing to buffer or affect the pH of water - my pH stabilized at 7.2.... I can't explain it other than it must be some chemical in the tap water that's being neutralized by the Prime.

Just wanted to through this out there for ya.

I have the same problem....I use the API Test kit and my tap water reads at between 6.6 and 6.8, I put it in the tank and leave it over night and it drops to 6 maybe even 5? The only thing I have in the tank at the moment other than equipment is sand?? I use the stresscoat water conditioner? Mmm? Maybe it's the sand dropping the PH? How do I test gH?

 

[scubadoo]

I've come to the conclusion that generally test kits are ok to give you a general feel if there's a problem, but can be very unreliable.

I've been cycling my tank (fishless) for a while now and have had wildly varying readings for nitrate in particular - going up then down - which it shouldn't do.

So yesterday I got a new test kit and tested the same water with a Hagen nitrate test and an API one - well Hagen gave a reading of 5ppm (which must be rubbish) then the API test gave me a reading of about 120ppm having read only 5ppm the day before.

On the PFK website they have a review of nitrate kits where they analysed a sample of water with about 12 different kits having also sent it to a proper lab for testing - the results are staggering - hardly any of them were correct!

It doesn't help, but it is a fact that you have to take chemical test results with a pinch of salt.