Four Point Five Ph!

[puffin3]

I have a 10 gal tank. I tested my PH yesterday. The kit read lower than 6.0.
I then took a water sample from my tank to the pet store. They have a more sophisticated test kit. My PH was 4-4.5 PH!
I have 2 white skirt tetras, 2 Columbian tetras, 2 cherry barbs, 3 neon tetras, two Danios, two corys and one algea eater. When I list them it does sound like a lot of fish even though they are all very small.
I'm amazed they all seem to be happy and healthy in such low PH water although the other day 2 little neons just dissappeared over night. I removed everything in the tank but couldn't find them. I assume they died and then were eaten. I also had a Danio just turn over and die suddenly the other day. I replaced it. I change 25% of the water every few days. The amonia is 0, just trace amounts of nitrite and nitrate.
According the the pet store I should only be keeping Amazonian type fish like angel fish and gourameys with such a low ph. Is this right?
I'm going to get a bit of crushed coral and put it in the filter system to raise the ph slowly and gently. Does the coral loose it's ability to raise the ph over time?
Thanks for any help.

 

[mark.w.jones]

Do you get your water from sulphur springs beside a volcano. Jesus pH4. I could put that on my chips with some salt. What is your tap waters pH? as pH 4 is extremely low. I would definitely advise the use of crushed coral in your case but add it very slowly as big pH swings are bad for your fish.

 

[OrganizedChaos69]

baking soda will also work. It is a natural but effective and quick way to raise ph. Use the baking kind, not the refrigerator, anti-humidity kind. Add very small amounts to slowly raise the ph to safe levels.

 

[celaeno]

baking soda works, but it quickly loses it's effect (in my case, less than a week).

 

[treelo]

where do you put crushed coral into your filter BTW?

this isnt the first time ive heard someone say this

 

[rdd1952]

It depends on what type filter you have. If you have a HOB with a filter cartridge, simply put some in where the carbon would be (quite a few people, including me, don't use carbon). In a canister, just put it in one of the baskets with the other media. If the pieces are too small and go through the holes in the basket, just put it in something like a filter bag. You can also hang it in your tank in a stocking but the effects aren't as good. It will take a long time before it loses it's ability to buffer the water so that should not be a concern.

 

[puffin3]

Thanks very much for the info. I'll get some coral today. For a ten gal tank how much should be added initially start moving the ph up to about 6.5 and how long will that take with water about 74 degrees F? When I do a 25% water change I guess I should use water that I've already added coral to to maintain a steady ph. Does that sound right?
The tap water I use comes directly from a lake just behind our place. The water is basically snow melt and rain.
I sure appreciate everyones input here. The one and only pet store nearby isn't staffed with people who seem very knowledgable are interested.
They had never heard of moving up the ph with coral for instance.

 

[OrganizedChaos69]

HMm baking soda would likely lose it's effect only in really hard water. Personally my water is very soft. I keep it hard enough only to prevent rapid and unpredictable ph changes.

 

[weirdsteve]

Another thing you can do is get "pH up" solution, which you can buy from many pet stores. If you put it in bit by bit this should raise it, the right pH of community aquariums is 7.0. Be sure not to raise it too fast because you will lose fish because they are quite sensitive to pH, I would recommend raising it by 0.2 each day!



​

 

[fishlette]

I have a 10 gal tank. I tested my PH yesterday. The kit read lower than 6.0.
I then took a water sample from my tank to the pet store. They have a more sophisticated test kit. My PH was 4-4.5 PH!
I have 2 white skirt tetras, 2 Columbian tetras, 2 cherry barbs, 3 neon tetras, two Danios, two corys and one algea eater. When I list them it does sound like a lot of fish even though they are all very small.
I'm amazed they all seem to be happy and healthy in such low PH water although the other day 2 little neons just dissappeared over night. I removed everything in the tank but couldn't find them. I assume they died and then were eaten. I also had a Danio just turn over and die suddenly the other day. I replaced it. I change 25% of the water every few days. The amonia is 0, just trace amounts of nitrite and nitrate.
According the the pet store I should only be keeping Amazonian type fish like angel fish and gourameys with such a low ph. Is this right?
I'm going to get a bit of crushed coral and put it in the filter system to raise the ph slowly and gently. Does the coral loose it's ability to raise the ph over time?
Thanks for any help.

hi there! your tank is a little overstocked. the corys and the algae eater take up a fair bit of floor space which you dont have that much off in a ten gallon. also the danios are very active fish that i think arent that well suited to a 10g. take away the bottom dwellers and then danios and you would be ok

 

[rdd1952]

Another thing you can do is get "pH up" solution, which you can buy from many pet stores. If you put it in bit by bit this should raise it, the right pH of community aquariums is 7.0. Be sure not to raise it too fast because you will lose fish because they are quite sensitive to pH, I would recommend raising it by 0.2 each day!​

The pH adjusting chemicals are the worst thing you can put in your tank. It will keep the pH in a constant swing from where it would naturally be and where the chemicals take it to. As for the "right pH", there is no sush thing. Most tetras, corys and angels (all community fish) prefer slightly acidic water in the mid 6 range. Other community fish such as mollies and guppies prefer slightly alkaline water in the low to mid 7s. Most all fish can adjust to any stable pH. They struggle when it is in constant swing.

As for the amount of crushed coral to use, it shouldn't ake more than a teaspoonful in the filter for your tank. Start with that and give it 3 to 5 days to see what effect it has and then adjust from there.

 

[nomadofthehills]

Test your tap water and then get back to us


What is your feeding regime? Also, your nitrites should be 0, not nearly zero. How long has your tank been set up with fish?

 

[Yazan]

'PH UP'- those things are rubbish as said by Rrd.

 

[puffin3]

On the advice of a pet store owner in Vancouver yesterday I crushed up 2 small oyster shells and put them in my tank. This morning the ph is 6.6! He said the lower the ph to start with the faster the ph will go up. It's sure done that. Now I'm worried about the fish. I'm removing most of the oyster shell now. I'll be surprised if my fish can survive all my screw ups.

 

[piratedninja]

dont remove all of the shells because the ph will go back down and the shells will keep it at a somewhat stable level

the ph in my tank was around 5.8 and i put in about 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda and tested the ph a few hours later and it got up to about 6.9
so thats another option if you lose the shells