Can't Get My Tank To Settle Down

[aquabadger]

I'll try testing it next time I do water change. I'm using the API de-chlorinator. Which one did you notice raised the pH?

 

[MartinL]

I use Tetra-Aquasafe - still using it cause I bought a large bottle, and as long as the pH is stable, that's the main thing.
Just thought it might be worth trying as it is obviously bugging you where the pH change is coming from!

 

[aquabadger]

Cool, thanks for getting back to me. Has anyone got any ideas for what I could try instead of praecox rainbowfish? Maybe a tetra or barb that is hardy, about 6-8cm and won't fin nip?

 

[aquabadger]

Thanks for everyones responses so far, but I'm still puzzled by the problems with my tank. People responding at first said the problems in my tank were due to bad water quality. However, I do test the water and I've never seen nitrates above 20. I've taken the advice to do 50% water changes and I've been doing this every week although occasionally I might leave it for 9 or 10 days if I'm away for a weekend. These are the readings before my last water change: Ammonia:0 Nitrite:0 Nitrate:5 pH: 7.7.

I don't understand why the tank pH is always between 7.5 - 8.0 when the tap water is 7.0. I have tried leaving the gravel in a bucket for a few days and the pH did not change so I don't think the gravel is the culprit. The only decor in the tank is some live amazon sword, a plastic tunnel, a rock which I have also tested in the bucket and a piece of bogwood. Is there anything else that could change the pH?

I still wouldn't mind some advice on what might be a good schooling fish to try (I'm down to the last praecox rainbow and the tank is now looking bare with only two gouramis and two cherry barbs.) I would like to give Black Ruby Barbs or diamond tetra a try as they have some nice ones in a LFS. If they're not a good idea then I might get some gold barbs as their profiles generally say they can tolerate pH of 6-8.

 

[OldMan47]

I know that the gold barbs do OK at 7.8 because my gold barbs are doing fine at that pH.

 

[waterdrop]

Maybe the gravel test needs more days/weeks. I know that others have reported that crushed coral (which definately raises pH of course, since its the method of choice for doing it) can take up to 2 or even 3 weeks to show an effect. Therefor I would speculate that if your gravel were having a lesser (but eventually measurable) effect, it might take pretty long to be able to measure it in a separate container test.

Looking at your thread I still find it kind of interesting. What percentage water changes were you doing prior to upping it to 50% ones? I have been doing 50% changes each week since the very beginning, with the occasional 9-10 day thing just like you and my stats have settled in at zero ammonia, zero nitrite and 5ppm nitrate, just like yours. This maintenance regimen, learned thanks to TFF here, has, to my observation, resulted in the most perky, beautifully colored and happy fish I can ever remember, much more so than years ago when I didn't understand cycling or these maintenance principles.

In some of our discussions, there has been talk about pH change vs. overall fresh water (and technically, vs. hardness change). I remember it being mentioned a number of times that rain storms can change pH rapidly in natural water habitats and it doesn't apparently harm the fish (although they certainly have more room to swim to different zones, which complicates the question) and I remember it being mentioned that change of hardness is the "underlying bigger deal" to what people see as a pH shock to tropicals. I really find myself agreeing with drobbyb that providing repeatedly fresh water is a bigger deal than temporary pH alterations. But also, it occurs to me that your hardness might be staying quite stable despite water changes and perhaps if that's true, it could make you feel more confident that larger percentage water changes are a safe thing for your fish. (I'm not forgetting that you've lost fish here, without full explanation in your mind, so you've got a real reason to be questioning all this.)

Would any of our experienced members care to comment further on this? (especially hardness variability vs. pH change that comes from water changing?)

~~waterdrop~~

 

[monkey_wrench]

Thanks for everyones responses so far, but I'm still puzzled by the problems with my tank. People responding at first said the problems in my tank were due to bad water quality. However, I do test the water and I've never seen nitrates above 20. I've taken the advice to do 50% water changes and I've been doing this every week although occasionally I might leave it for 9 or 10 days if I'm away for a weekend. These are the readings before my last water change: Ammonia:0 Nitrite:0 Nitrate:5 pH: 7.7.

I don't understand why the tank pH is always between 7.5 - 8.0 when the tap water is 7.0. I have tried leaving the gravel in a bucket for a few days and the pH did not change so I don't think the gravel is the culprit. The only decor in the tank is some live amazon sword, a plastic tunnel, a rock which I have also tested in the bucket and a piece of bogwood. Is there anything else that could change the pH?

I still wouldn't mind some advice on what might be a good schooling fish to try (I'm down to the last praecox rainbow and the tank is now looking bare with only two gouramis and two cherry barbs.) I would like to give Black Ruby Barbs or diamond tetra a try as they have some nice ones in a LFS. If they're not a good idea then I might get some gold barbs as their profiles generally say they can tolerate pH of 6-8.

howbout some rummy-nose tetra?

 

[aquabadger]

I didn't know it could take 3 weeks for the gravel to have an effect! I'll try that test again then.

I was reading one of the other threads on here and something has occured to me. [URL="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113921&pid=960125&st=0&#entry960125"]http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...mp;#entry960125[/URL] This says that there can be a lot of CO2 in tap water which can lower pH, but once the water is in a tank the pH can rise to its normal level. Now, I have also looked at a water quality report from the water company for my area and it says the pH is 7.6. So maybe the water in my tank is just returning to its normal pH? I'm going to try the suggested test there and run an airstone in a bucket of tap water and see what happens to the pH.

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, that CO2 effect you are talking about is pretty much true all the time, not sure how much it varies though.

~~waterdrop~~