ph emergency

[ryan]

my ph has gone from 7 to 8.5 in one day and i was wondering how i could lower the ph quickly.

 

[Ginger]

Maybe do a small water change

 

[Cian McLiam]

Ok, dont panic!!
Changing PH too quickly will kill fish, so if its changed so much, try to correct it gradually. Its strange to have PH jump up, it usually crashes down when the waste in the tank, coupled with soft water and things like bogwood cause the PH to suddenly dip. I suspect something is interfering with your test kit.
How are the fish? are they acting strange or rubbing themselves off anything??
Please dont start making huge water changes, try 20% today and 10% a day until the PH stabilises, a swinging PH will damage the fish so if the ph shot up, you need to level it gradually by adding neutral moderately hard water.
Aquarium pharmaceuticals make a product called PH adjuster that stabilises the PH by adding minerals to the water and is distinctly different to nasty products like PH up or PH down.

Ken

 

[ryan]

Ok, dont panic!!
Changing PH too quickly will kill fish, so if its changed so much, try to correct it gradually. Its strange to have PH jump up, it usually crashes down when the waste in the tank, coupled with soft water and things like bogwood cause the PH to suddenly dip. I suspect something is interfering with your test kit.
How are the fish? are they acting strange or rubbing themselves off anything??
Please dont start making huge water changes, try 20% today and 10% a day until the PH stabilises, a swinging PH will damage the fish so if the ph shot up, you need to level it gradually by adding neutral moderately hard water.
Aquarium pharmaceuticals make a product called PH adjuster that stabilises the PH by adding minerals to the water and is distinctly different to nasty products like PH up or PH down.

Ken

one of my golden barbs is darting around a bit crazily, and i have lost 3 neons and my cory's are bit dozy like most of them, will they come out of this trance with a 20% water change? also they seem a bit of their food.

i hav recently added an air pump could this have any effect.

 

[Cian McLiam]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Well, the air pump will have a direct effect on the PH because it causes CO2 dissolved in the water to be released as the surface is agitated, this then causes the PH to increase, rapidly if there was a high level of CO2 in the water. Was there a oily scum on the surface of the water beforehand??
Remove the airstone and PH should normalise. Aquariums with a decent filter dont normally need an airstone.

Ken

 

[ryan]

is there anyway of lowering the ph without removing it because i find that it circulates the water and pushes dirt that seetled on the sand and made it look dirty before into the filter. it is also a nice feature in the tank and the fish love swimming ein and out of the bubbles. i hav done the water change of 20% and will test the water soon

 

[Cian McLiam]

Ryan,
It seems as though your water is very soft, this means it can change PH much more rapidly than harder water would because the minerals and salts in the water will keep the PH stable. You should test the water for PH, KH and GH regualrly with a good kit. My water is also very soft and I can measure a tiny change in PH during the day as opposed to night, due to plants adding oxygen in the day and CO2 at night, so an airstone will definitely make a difference. I strongly suggest you test your tap water to find its hardness and PH. This will help determine how best to keep it at one level constantly.

Ken