Checking PH

LadyViper · 06-24-2006, 09:56 PM

How often should you check the PH of your tank? I only check mine every few months, because I think everything is fine. The water is good the fish seem very healthy, do I need to check if more if all seems good to the eye?

Trish · 06-27-2006, 05:07 PM

From what I've read you are supposed to do it weekly. But I do mine about 2 times a month. I should do it mroe often.
It's best to do it more reguarly than every few months, as you cannot tell how the water is just by looking at it. No matter how clean it looks the pH can be too high or too low.

kelkat · 06-29-2006, 09:03 AM

A good idea is to combine it with another regular chore: today is laundry day - I need to check the ph. This will make it easier to remember to do it.

LadyViper · 06-29-2006, 10:52 AM

Okay, I can remember to do it weekly. I just figured if the PH were out of whack, the fish would act differently. I know I have to check the PH today, after the power outage, I know the water is screwed up.

lindsey · 06-30-2006, 08:17 AM

You can check you Ph balances every 2 to 4 weeks. 2 weeks is the most ideal. Or anytime after a death of a fish in a tank than the ph should be checked than as well. And check it also before putting new fish in the tank.

LadyViper · 07-02-2006, 09:33 AM

What is a good natural way of lowering the PH. I use the stuff you can buy at the pet store, but I would like to find an alternative. Is there such a thing as a natural ph restorer?

kelkat · 07-04-2006, 08:33 AM

I was shocked to find out how important ph is in the tank. Did you know that water one point higher on the ph scale is actually 10 times more alkaline? And that each fish has a different ph level that they want to live at? Wow! This tank thing is not as easy as it appears.

As for controlling the ph, anything with calcium increases the acidity (shells, limestone, etc) but be careful about hardness of the water. Also, gradually change the ph in your tank. A change of more than .3 in a day can stress and kill your fish.

Trish · 07-05-2006, 01:37 AM

Yeah, I heard about how different fish need different pH levels. I have a sheet somewhere that had the levels for different types of fish. Definitely makes it confusing. Unless you have fish that are somewhat around the same pH. But either way their is going to be at least one fish that will have stress over it. Can't please all of them.

kelkat · 07-05-2006, 09:03 AM

you can please some of the fish some of the time but you can't please all of the fish all of the time.

Had to be said.

Actually, I think the degree of change is what amazed me most about pH. If the water is suppose to be 7 (neutral) and is actually 9 then it is 100 times more acidic (I think the acid is up) than it's suppose to be. It mutiplies by ten with every number change. No wonder the fish are stressed.

LadyViper · 07-09-2006, 08:55 PM

PH does confuse me, I always have to check the instructions for the for what the norm should be. I remember having to do this with a pool when I was younger, and I hated it. Maybe that's why I avoid it so much.