Increase In Ph Level

[ClaireR]

Hello, I wonder if anyone could please give me a bit of advice....

We have a 240Ltr tank with 3 x guppies, 1 x platy, 2 x balloon mollies (plus a few fry) and 2 x 3 spot Gourami. The water stats have always been pretty constant, but after todays water change (20%), i’m getting a PH reading of 8.2 (normally 7.2 / 7.4) Nitrate, Nitrite and Ammonia are all zero.

Should i be concerned about the increase in PH, and if so, anything i can get to reduce it?

Any help is appreciated! Thanks

 

[Carp4U]

I don't know why this may have happened.

The gouramis need a PH of about 6.4-6.8 and livebearers do best with about 7.5. The pH may change after a while back to normal. If not the pH change could be stressful for your fish if it is too high but if they are ok now they should be ok unless it increases even more. You can get pH Up and pH Down to alter it, in your case you want pH down which should take it down to how it was.

 

[n3ont3tra]

Don't worry about it, your fish will be fine. Messing with the pH isn't usually necessary. It usually creates more problems than it solves.

 

[Corleone]

Test your gravel and any rocks with vinegar or other acid (API's nitrate bottle 1 test contains hydrochloric acid) and see if they fizz. You might have a rock that dissolves in fresh water pushing the pH up.

Also, test your tap water - it's possible for some reason the mineral content of that has also changed for some reason, maybe a new water main or something in the system.

A high pH may not be a problem, but a fluctuating one is - just make sure there's not something that can cause fluctuations.

 

[puppyjess123]

Yep agree with ^. My opaline gourmais live in a ph of 8.4 never had any problems. Its better to have a stable pH then it is to muck around with ti to egt it to the right level etc. If you really want you can get pH UP and DOWN products in basically any LFS, LPS.

 

[Mr Bliss]

I agree as well. Most gourami are surprisingly adaptable when it comes to pH, so I wouldn't worry.

It sounds like something's going on with the tap water though. Have you checked the home page of your water company? I've been getting pH 8+ water this summer instead of the usual ~7 because of some repair work due to which our water temporarily comes from a different source.

 

[ClaireR]

Thanks for the advice! I’ll leave it as is but keep an eye on the levels to make sure they aren’t fluctuating.

I tested the tap water which was also high so I think the culprit is there rather than something in the tank.

Thanks again.

 

[OldMan47]

You may want to check with your water supplier Claire. If the pH has suddenly moved, they may be having some sort of trouble with the supply or it may be that harvest season is putting dusts and such into the water. The point is that sometimes the things that they respond to also mean that the water suppliers end up adding more chlorine than usual for people's safety. If that is happening, your water may need more dechlorinator than usual. In my mind it is at least worth asking them what is happening and tell them what you have measured.