Ph Unstable

[fatsally]

I have a 30 gal tank with approx 20 mollies and guppies. The tank has been set up for about 1 1/2 mos. The water readings are fine except the ph stays too high. I will have the ph fine and then a day or two later I check it and it is 8.5. Why does it get so high so quickly? What is the best way to keep it stable and close to neutral? My mollies are developing rust colored spots and I am fairly certain it is because of the ph. Please help.

 

[freddyk]

Chances are the 8.5 is the accurate measurement of your tap water, it often rises (do to the addition of 02 and dissipation of co2 once it's aerated) I've never heard of such a blatent reaction to a higher ph, and while I can't say with all surety that it's not related, I do have my doubts. I would be concerned about the health of so many fish in the tank on a long term basis, unless they're all fry.

 

[@ombomb]

I will have the ph fine and then a day or two later I check it and it is 8.5.

When you say you have have it fine, do you mean you adjusting the pH with chemicals?

 

[fatsally]

yes, I will adjust the ph with chems if necessary. What I do not understand is how to get it and keep it at the desired level. I am new to fish keeping as you can probably tell. Also, is 20 fish (all one inch or less) too many to keep in a 30 gallon aquarium? I was looking for homes for about five of the mollies, but since the rust colored spots have appeared, I obviously cannot give any of them away.

 

[modernhamlet]

First things first... stop using the chemicals. Your fish will handle a stable 8.5 pH much better than they will handle wild swings.

There are safer and more natural ways of lowering pH, but unless you're planning to breed or keep fish with strict requirements, I'd say leave your water alone.

 

[SkiFletch]

Agreed, mollies and guppies can tolerate water with an 8.5pH so long as its stable. Chemicals = bad

 

[fatsally]

Thanks for the info. Do I really have too many fish in my tank though? And what else could rust colored spots be? They are on my mollies, not my guppies. All advice is appreciated.

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, thats a little overstocked... The general rule of thumb is 1" per 1gal

 

[kimbowee]

What type of water do you have? Is it possibly from a well with a high iron content? If so you would probably also notice rust spots or a slight orange color on your whites if the clothing was washed in the same water.

What type of mollies are they? Is it only on some of the Mollies, if so which ones, adult or fry? If you had all juvenile mollies it could be that they are maturing and taking on more color.

To answer your question, yes you have too many fish in your tank. Even though they are currently under the 1" per gal rule, they can grow to be between 3-4" each. Meaning if they all reached 3" you would have 60" of fish in a 30 gal tank. Not to mention that these are livebearers and breed like rabbits You can expect new fry about every 6 weeks.

Also, I completely agree with Skifletch & modernhelmet about leaving your pH alone. Don't add any more chemicals. They often have very negative results leading to fish loss. The fish you currently have can live quite happily at your pH. But severe pH fluctuations can kill of a large number literally overnight.

Hope that helps!

 

[fatsally]

Thanks for all the advice! I thought that since I only had 20 small fish in a 30 gallon tank, that was fine. It is true that some of the mollies are only three months old and will be getting larger. I haven't seen a three inch guppy or molly. My mollies are black and white or solid black, some lyretail. Wow, if they are going to get that big, I guess I need another tank and more fish keeping friends.