Ph is off and I dont know why.. Please help..

Muschoo · 05-26-2009, 10:24 PM

I have a 55 gl aquarium... currently the Ph is at a steady 8.0 Problem is I want to buy some more fish... currently I have a Hypostumous and a featherfin catfish... Im looking at getting a rafeal catfish... a dragon fish... some angels... jack knife ghost and bala sharks... Now in Wisconsin I never had a problem with my tank and I had all of these same fish in the same tanks.. Had the tank running for 5 years before moving to kentucky.... I am using the same tank... new fish... currently the two fish previously mentioned are all that is in there... I have been worried about the high Ph so I havent bought anything else... I went to the fish store to buy some and the lady said my fish would all die within an hour if I put them in my tank as it is now... The only thing in my tank is blue gravel.. (small in size) and drift wood... the drift wood has been in there for 2 years and the gravel 3...... I have tried everything from water changes more often... Ph stabilizers... Ph powders or tablets... and nothing lowers it... and i want some life in my tank... also... i only leave the light on 3 hours a night because it sits by a window and gets natural sunlight all day... I dont know what to do... I never had these problems in wisconsin... people came to me about my tank because of how I was able to keep fish and a clear healthy stable tank for so long... now im lost.... please help...

Jay · 05-27-2009, 06:59 AM

Hey Muschoo...

A few questions.
Is the pH the same at the tap?
What is your water source...Well, City?
Is there a water softening unit in the house?
Is there a water filtering system in the house?

Jay

Judge · 05-27-2009, 08:48 AM

Welcome Muscho to the forum. Sounds like Jay has hit the mark, we await further info so we can help. Glad you have decided to join our friendly group.

Muschoo · 05-27-2009, 05:43 PM

It is city water straight from the tap... and the tap Ph is 7 (sorry I was corrected)..... there is no water softeners or water filters.. anything like that.... I have never used any of that ever... so I didnt know i had to.... i was told it was the drift wood but i dont see how that is possible...

And thank you for the welcome... this is the first place that came highly recommended and very trusted... I appreciate this...

Muschoo · 05-28-2009, 09:28 AM

It is city water straight from the tap... and the tap Ph is 6 (sorry I was corrected)..... there is no water softeners or water filters.. anything like that.... I have never used any of that ever... so I didnt know i had to.... i was told it was the drift wood but i dont see how that is possible...

And thank you for the welcome... this is the first place that came highly recommended and very trusted... I appreciate this...

Muschoo · 05-28-2009, 09:33 AM

It is city water straight from the tap... and the tap Ph is 7 (sorry I was corrected)..... there is no water softeners or water filters.. anything like that.... I have never used any of that ever... so I didnt know i had to.... i was told it was the drift wood but i dont see how that is possible...

And thank you for the welcome... this is the first place that came highly recommended and very trusted... I appreciate this...

Muschoo · 05-28-2009, 09:38 AM

We removed the driftwood and did a 60% water change... We also bought a new high end 4 way water filter system... We syphoned the gravel and removed old food and things... We let the new filter clean the water... The only thing original in the tank now is the gravel... The tap tested again at 6.0 low end ph and the tank after 24 hours tested again 8.0 high end ph... I dont understand.... Im ready to change the gravel if i have to but that would mean the whole tank needs to start over and i dont want to lose the two fish i have in there... Please help me...

SumpNFishy · 05-28-2009, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muschoo

The tap tested again at 6.0 low end ph and the tank after 24 hours tested again 8.0 high end ph... I dont understand.... Im ready to change the gravel if i have to but that would mean the whole tank needs to start over and i dont want to lose the two fish i have in there... Please help me...

Thought I'd jump in here as I had the same problem trying to deal with pH a few months back. One thing I eventually learned is that straight from the tap almost all water tests around 7. Let is sit or aireate it for an hour to get the real reading. Has something to do with relaseing CO2 I think.

The second thing, all my fish do fine in a higher pH. It's more a matter of pH stability. Quick pH swings can stress the fish causing them to die. Most people say that Angelfish need low pH. I'm breeding them in water with a pH of 8.0. Around here in central Indiana all water is very hard, pH 8.2, KH 18, GH well over 25. I mix my tap with RO to get the KH & GH lower and the fish are fine.

Bottom line, most fish will be fine if properly acclimatized to your water. Our LFS water is like mine so the fish I purchase do fine in my tanks.

Jay · 05-28-2009, 05:14 PM

IMO SumpNFishy is just about spot on. Plus I am a little confused by your mixing high and low pH scales for the same water. You cannot rely on your results doing that

Jay

Muschoo · 05-28-2009, 07:17 PM

i start off with the low end ph... it always topped off at 7.6.... the highest the chart will show.... so then i test it at the higher level ph and it settles at 8.0 and it stays there consistent... so is an 8.0 ok for my fish??? it stays there stable without fluctuation... all other tests are normal...no cloudy water, no sickness in the fish.. nothing... tank looks better now then ever... just naked cuz there is no fish in it.... just want to make sure 8.0 is ok before i go fill it with sharks and catfish... thank you to everyone who is helping... you have all helped me so much.....more then you know....

What is RO?