Guideline Ph?

[csjasona]

Hi all

What's the generally accepted 'best' Ph level? I know it will vary from fish-to-fish etc. but for a general community tank with a sand substrate, underwater heater and regular heater, cylinder-based CO2 system and automatic Ph monitor/CO2 controller, what should I set the max and min on the Ph controller to?

For reference, I will have these fish in the 180 litre tank:

2 dwarf gourami
2 clown loach
3 guppies
2 platies
4 zebra danios
4 glass fish

 

[bogwood]

It is important that the PH level stays 'constant'... rather than being a perfectly 'correct' level that may fluctuate... My PH is the same as my lfs (8.5)... a little high if you go by the book, but as there is no major change between the shop and my tanks the fish are fine...

 

[Phillip.M]

wow 8.5? i would go with 6.5-7.5. Many fishes thrive in those conditions.

 

[haplover]

Many people now say that 7.0 is "best," but with the advances that have been made in captive breeding, the pH of the natural environments is really only important for wild caught fish and a few delicate captive bred ones. Even fish like Rift Lake cichlids that are bred in captivity will be fine at a pH of 7.0. We in the aquarium hobby have become somewhat obsessed with the "perfect" pH level. We try to immitate the exact pH level of the natural environment of our fish when in reality unless we have something wild caught it really doesn't matter. AAS has already been pointed out though, a stable pH is optimum.

 

[@ombomb]

I assume you have the CO² as the tank is planted.

You should be aiming for a constant 30ppm of CO² and to work out the target pH, you need to know the KH of your water.

 

[Torrean]

I'm no expert but I would set the PH to whatever my tap PH is when the water has cooled and has sat out for a few hours. Since your doing water changes this will minimize PH fluctuations. I could be wrong.

 

[csjasona]

I know the KH et al. I am presuming the Ph controller and probe that I have today will take care of it all for me : I was just looking for the 'best Ph range. Think I will try 6.5 to 7.5

 

[@ombomb]

What is the KH?

 

[Torrean]

carbonate hardness. It's the ability of your water to hold onto a specific PH without changing. Check the pinned topics. I know there are one or two very helpful ones dealing with water chemistry. If you can't find them PM me and I'll get the link for ya


eh what the heck I 'll find the link

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=7443

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=59467

 

[@ombomb]

carbonate hardness. It's the ability of your water to hold onto a specific PH without changing. Check the pinned topics. I know there are one or two very helpful ones dealing with water chemistry. If you can't find them PM me and I'll get the link for ya

Thanks, but I meant: "what is the KH level of the tank"

He / she seems to be going about this the wrong IMO, so I was hoping to give them a guide pH to aim for. It's all very well saying it should be between 6.5 - 7.5 for most fish, but in my tank, that would make the difference between 8.5ppm and 85ppm of CO².

 

[Torrean]

=) I seem to be having trouble reading all the words in a post lately. Sorry about that. Somehow I managed to miss the word THE. oops.