Help: High Ph

[Haeun]

Help!

I took my water to Petco/Petsmart no less than 4 times in the past two days to get it tested, and ALL four times, they told me it was perfectly fine. However, they weren't giving me numbers so I was suspicious.

Anyways, I put in my new yellow CT male today, and just in case took a vial of water to another Petco again to get it tested. This time, they told me numbers, and that my pH is ridiculously high: 8.4! YIKES.

So I immediately got a pH down and put two drops in (said no more than 0.2 pH change per 24 hrs) so I'm working on it but any other advice? The "safe" range is 6.4-7, right? Omg, how could the pH be so high...

I'm so worried about my betta! I shouldn't have worried about the money, and just bought a test kit myself.

 

[wuvmybetta]

It's really best to just leave your PH alone. Your fish will adjust. If you want to naturally lower it just add some indian almond leaves, or oak leaves (maybe even just one depending on tank size), or you can buy blackwater extract, all will make your water more acidic. But otherwise I would leave it be.

 

[stoberto]

Actually, I adjust my pH always before I add new water. I lower it slightly below my desired pH (this is in the bucket before I do the change, obviously you are trying to lower the pH in the actual tank which you will have to do more gradually). Then, I add a little pure baking soda, which not only raises the pH, it adds a buffer so that the alkalinity doesn't suck. This is the only method that keeps my pH from going crazy. My pH is also way over 8 out of the faucet, which is why I do this...

Andrew

 

[Haeun]

Actually, I adjust my pH always before I add new water. I lower it slightly below my desired pH (this is in the bucket before I do the change, obviously you are trying to lower the pH in the actual tank which you will have to do more gradually). Then, I add a little pure baking soda, which not only raises the pH, it adds a buffer so that the alkalinity doesn't suck. This is the only method that keeps my pH from going crazy. My pH is also way over 8 out of the faucet, which is why I do this...

Andrew

Thanks for the advice. I got a new 5 gallon tank for my two bettas now (to be divided) and I'm trying to prep it now like you do.

In what way do you lower your pH? With a pH down?

 

[RandomWiktor]

My pH is insanely base, and all of my bettas do fine in it... I add a little BWE which helps somewhat, but considering how many seriously sickly fish I take on, all of whom do just fine, I'd imagine a healthy betta would have no issues with high pH so long as it was gradually acclimated.

 

[lisie]

I'm with wuv, just leave the pH alone. Using things like pH down and stuff can cause the levels to fluctuate which is worse than having a high pH to begin with.

 

[Imber]

I agree with leaving it alone. All of my bettas do fine with my ph that's 8.4-8.6. My oldest is 4 years old, blind as a bat and still going strong and he's been in the same ph all of his life so I don't think it really effects them all that much.