Why Is My Ph So High?

[tanzen]

I have an established freshwater 55 gal tank with a high pH of about 7.8. It's the same in my 20 gal QT as well. My tap water comes out at 7.0 as does my R/O water.

ALL of my fish are extremely happy and healthy though. Very good eaters.

I've tried pH down and it slighly lowers it and then it sky rockets the next day higher than it was previously.
Now i'm trying neutral regulator or whatever by seachem.

I'm thinking it maybe the gravel i have in it.
I also have a barrier with carribsea black tahitian moon sand but i dont think that would be the cause.
I bought the gravel in a 50 pound bag from a pond store very cheaply. The employee said that she used that particular gravel in her home aquarium. She didnt specify if it was fresh or marine.

In my QT i have very fine pool filter silica sand and a glass vase.

I only have plastic and cloth plants in the main tank.


Is it the gravel and sand that's raising my pH so high?
Will i HAVE to remove the gravel/sand to keep my pH neutral or will the buffer i have eventually kick in and fix it?


Thanks

 

[loachman]

In general, a pH of 7.8 isn't going to be a problem. What fish do you have? For most fish, it's better to leave your pH where it is than try to chase a "magic number."

The other thing to do is test the pH of the tap water after it has sat around for a while (a couple hours). Sometimes it has a large amount of dissolved CO2 in it out of the faucet which lowers the pH. Over time, the CO2 leaves the water and your pH can go up.

It is not likely that it is your sand.

 

[tanzen]

In general, a pH of 7.8 isn't going to be a problem. What fish do you have? For most fish, it's better to leave your pH where it is than try to chase a "magic number."

The other thing to do is test the pH of the tap water after it has sat around for a while (a couple hours). Sometimes it has a large amount of dissolved CO2 in it out of the faucet which lowers the pH. Over time, the CO2 leaves the water and your pH can go up.

It is not likely that it is your sand.

I have:

1 male betta (Betta splenden)
1 pearl gourami (Trichogaster leerii)
1 blue swordtail (Xiphorphorus helleri)
1 gold dojo loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus)
1 red tail shark (Epalzeorhynchus bicolor)
6 glass catfish (Kryptopterus minor)
1 African dwarf frog (Hymenochirus boettgeri)


20 gal QT:

1 striped peacock spiny eel (Macrognathus siamensis)

++but now i have the eel in my main tank.


Thanks for the tap testing idea. I didnt know that