| Freshwater Aquarium Maintenance Fishtank Forum for the discussion of maintenance practices in a Freshwater environment. This includes questions on testing parameters, performing water changes, cleaning algae, replacing substrates, moving tanks, and any other maintenance related tasks for Freshwater aquariums. | 
12-01-2006, 08:33 PM
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#1 | | Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 176
| what would cause high ph?
My 29 gal is a little over 2 weeks old. I went to the LFS to get the water checked.. and my pH was *VERY* high... why would that be? I have 5 live plants, 1 small barrel for decoration, and I would say "normal" 2.5 inches aquarium substrate. The amonia/nitrite/nirates were "okay" but high due to cycling still. I have a 10 gallon, the pH has always been "neutral" and I use the same water for the 10 gal/29 gal I have always used tap water/decholorinater.. So why would the pH be high now? There is 3 mollies, 4 white clouds, and 1 kuhlii loach. I put "neutralizing tablets" into the tank(I added one to the 10 gallon just incase), and put a detoxifier "prime... by seachim"
Just wondering why all of a sudden would the pH be high in the 29 gal? it just seems odd to me.
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34 Gal SW Reef
55 Gal FW | 
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12-01-2006, 09:43 PM
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#2 | | Guest
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,604
| First, I am going to guess that the terms surrounded by the **'s are things the LFS told you rather than what you tested for?
If this is the case, I highly suggest that you get your own test or at least have the LFS show you their test and get some accurate numbers instead of directions like *high*, *low*, or anything else.
I think that you may be getting duped a bit here with the high ph story and I am thinking that they are selling you some Ph buffers or something? If the Ph is anywhere from the 6 to 8 range, and your fish are all still alive, you may not have as much of a problem as the LFS wants you to think you do.
Get some actual numbers. I am willing to bet 100% of the people on this forum would want to know the same before making any sort of guess. At least it could be an educated guess that way. | |
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12-01-2006, 10:02 PM
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#3 | | Rainbow
Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK
Posts: 103
| their judgement of very high is probably in the 8's, anyway its possible your substrate is buffering it. maybe you should try changing it out if you dont know exactly what its made of.
could cycling mess with the ph?
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55 Gallon Tank:
4X yellow lab
Breeding pair of Red Empress
Female OB peacock
S. Fryeri
Syno. Catfish
Blue Batia
Generic Pleco
One Tinfoil Barb (i couldnt get the thing out with a net or anything else, so i guess its there to stay...) | |
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12-01-2006, 10:08 PM
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#4 | | Reef Bum Smod
Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Sand Springs OK
Posts: 2,065
| It could also be your tap water, my ph on my tap is never the same from week to week. | 
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12-01-2006, 10:29 PM
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#5 | | Guest
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,604
| GM,
Is your tap water city water or from a well? My city water Ph is almost always the exact same from at least month to month. I also happen to live less than a mile from the treatment plant though so I might be getting it in such a short time that it is less affected overall from there to my tanks.
Honestly though, I never mess with my Ph and only consitantly monitor the Ph in my SW tank. I have kept livebearers and cichlids in the same water with little to no issues and can breed them with high success.
My gut instinct here is that it may be a ploy by the LFS to sell her buffering tablets or chems. Otherwise, I think Sarah would know the number instead of just that 'it is very high'. I might be wrong, but it is what I feel is most likely the case right now. | |
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12-01-2006, 11:12 PM
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#6 | | Reef Bum Smod
Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Sand Springs OK
Posts: 2,065
| Your probalby right about the lfs. My city water plant is over ten miles away, so this may be the cause as to the fluctuations. | |
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12-02-2006, 07:33 AM
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#7 | | Super MOD 3000 Posts
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 804
| Quote: |
Honestly though, I never mess with my Ph and only consitantly monitor the Ph in my SW tank. I have kept livebearers and cichlids in the same water with little to no issues and can breed them with high success.
| Here Here!!! The obsession with needing to keep pH at 7, especially by beginners, should be posted over at the myth thread.
Sarah - This is a perfect example of "without posted tank parameters" folks are just guessing about your problem, if you have a problem at all. 
Regards,
Jay | |
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12-02-2006, 11:41 AM
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#8 | | Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 176
| I would like to say, just because I'm rather new at this.. I don't have an obsession with my ph staying at 7, I have never dealt with an inbalance in the PH,and was wondering how I should handle it.
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34 Gal SW Reef
55 Gal FW | |
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12-02-2006, 12:17 PM
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#9 | | Guest
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,604
| Sarah,
I guess what we are all saying is that most likely, you dont have any inbalance with your Ph and it is probrably the LFS's intention to get you to feel like you have something wrong in your tank so that you buy some products from them to make money off of you. That is why it is hard to guess without knowing the exact number if you have a problem or not and even then, the chances are very very high that you are fine. | |
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12-02-2006, 01:59 PM
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#10 | | Super MOD 3000 Posts
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 804
| Quote: |
I would like to say, just because I'm rather new at this.. I don't have an obsession with my ph staying at 7,
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Whoa,
Sorry if you took that the wrong way. It was not aimed at you, it was aimed at the lfs and others who push misinformation on beginners.
Jay | |
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