Ph

[GMazzle 83]

hi all

Still being very new to the hobby and little experience I need some advice on how to lower the ph in my tank.
The ph from my source is 6.4 but in my tank its rocketed to nearly 8 which I think is killing my fish and causing ammonia to spike aswell.

What can i do without using chemicals?
Cheers
G.

 

[Naughts]

Leave the pH as is, it will stabilise and be safer for the fish; trying to adjust it can cause dangerous fluctuations. What rocks and substrate are in the tank? These can sometimes alter the pH.

What you need for your fish is zero ammonia. What reading do your tests give? Do a large water change of 75% using dechlorinated water any time the test is above zero.

PH doesn't cause ammonia spikes but if you have ammonia in your tank it is even more toxic with a higher pH.

 

[GMazzle 83]

Thanks for that @Naughts
Its something I've been batteling with since I have the tank.
I've taken out all rocks and plants that may have been adding to ammonia.
I also think that my water source has ammonia in it at .25
My water parameters are
PH 8
Ammonia .25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
I do frequent water changes almost twice a week of 25% but seems I'm getting nowhere.
Cheers
G

 

[Essjay]

The rocks etc won't add to ammonia. Rocks may add to pH if they are coral or limestone as they are made of calcium carbonate which slowly dissolves in water increasing the amount of calcium and slightly increasing pH.

High pH won't cause the ammonia to spike. Ammonia is excreted by the fish in the tank. It builds up if there are insufficient bacteria or live plants, both of which remove ammonia - and they will also remove the ammonia in your tap water.

How long has the tank been set up?
How did you cycle the tank before getting fish?
How soon after setting the tank up did you get fish?
Are the plants real or fake?

 

[GMazzle 83]

The rocks etc won't add to ammonia. Rocks may add to pH if they are coral or limestone as they are made of calcium carbonate which slowly dissolves in water increasing the amount of calcium and slightly increasing pH.

High pH won't cause the ammonia to spike. Ammonia is excreted by the fish in the tank. It builds up if there are insufficient bacteria or live plants, both of which remove ammonia - and they will also remove the ammonia in your tap water.

How long has the tank been set up?
How did you cycle the tank before getting fish?
How soon after setting the tank up did you get fish?
Are the plants real or fake?

The tank is set up about 3months now I left it cycle for 3 weeks with plants and rock no fish until mid way through the 3rd week.
The plants were real but I took all of them out as the started looking bad because of low co2 and maybe causing ammonia. So I only have substrate and a piece of drift wood in the tank now. I dont think I should put real plants in the tank again until I get a co2 system that will keep the plants healthy. So I might get fake plants today to make the fish a bit happier.
Thanks

G

 

[Essjay]

Rotting plants can cause ammonia. But live plants are much better for an aquarium than fake plants. I could never get live plants to grow till I discovered that the kind that grow attached to decor worked for me - I have Java fern, several species of anubias, bolbitis and several species of bucephalandra all attached to wood. And I have water sprite as a floating plants.


There are a few ways to cycle a tank.
By adding ammonia to the tank and following the method in the stickies of the Cycling forum. Bottled bacteria can be used to speed the cycle, eg Tetra Safe Start.
With live plants - though the plants need to be healthy and actively growing, and more than just the odd one or two.
Using fish as the source of ammonia to do a fish-in cycle.


The first two should not have ammonia in the tank after fish are put in. Fish-in cycling does mean ammonia, and nitrite, in the water but even a fish-in cycle should have completed by now.


How high is the ammonia in your tank?

There are a few things you can do.
Water changes to get the ammonia down to the level in your tap water.
Get some Tetra Safe Start
Buy some floating plants. These take up ammonia faster than plants lower down in the tank because they can get their carbon dioxide from the air. You can use fake plants as well, but floating live plants are a good thing to have in a tank. Anything from Salvinia, though water lettuce and Amazon frogbit to water sprite - and hornwort and elodea/egeria/anacharis (same plant, different names) can be used as a floating plant.


I would ignore the pH for now, concentrate on the ammonia. And nitrite if you get a reading above zero for that as well..

 

[GMazzle 83]

Rotting plants can cause ammonia. But live plants are much better for an aquarium than fake plants. I could never get live plants to grow till I discovered that the kind that grow attached to decor worked for me - I have Java fern, several species of anubias, bolbitis and several species of bucephalandra all attached to wood. And I have water sprite as a floating plants.


There are a few ways to cycle a tank.
By adding ammonia to the tank and following the method in the stickies of the Cycling forum. Bottled bacteria can be used to speed the cycle, eg Tetra Safe Start.
With live plants - though the plants need to be healthy and actively growing, and more than just the odd one or two.
Using fish as the source of ammonia to do a fish-in cycle.


The first two should not have ammonia in the tank after fish are put in. Fish-in cycling does mean ammonia, and nitrite, in the water but even a fish-in cycle should have completed by now.


How high is the ammonia in your tank?

There are a few things you can do.
Water changes to get the ammonia down to the level in your tap water.
Get some Tetra Safe Start
Buy some floating plants. These take up ammonia faster than plants lower down in the tank because they can get their carbon dioxide from the air. You can use fake plants as well, but floating live plants are a good thing to have in a tank. Anything from Salvinia, though water lettuce and Amazon frogbit to water sprite - and hornwort and elodea/egeria/anacharis (same plant, different names) can be used as a floating plant.


I would ignore the pH for now, concentrate on the ammonia. And nitrite if you get a reading above zero for that as well..

Thanks for that @essjay
I think I have been struggling with ammonia since I got the tank. I think I'll give the live plants another shot i know they are better for keeping the water quality good.
I'll get a bottle of the safe start see if it helps aswell.
Thanks for your help

G.

 

[GMazzle 83]

Rotting plants can cause ammonia. But live plants are much better for an aquarium than fake plants. I could never get live plants to grow till I discovered that the kind that grow attached to decor worked for me - I have Java fern, several species of anubias, bolbitis and several species of bucephalandra all attached to wood. And I have water sprite as a floating plants.


There are a few ways to cycle a tank.
By adding ammonia to the tank and following the method in the stickies of the Cycling forum. Bottled bacteria can be used to speed the cycle, eg Tetra Safe Start.
With live plants - though the plants need to be healthy and actively growing, and more than just the odd one or two.
Using fish as the source of ammonia to do a fish-in cycle.


The first two should not have ammonia in the tank after fish are put in. Fish-in cycling does mean ammonia, and nitrite, in the water but even a fish-in cycle should have completed by now.


How high is the ammonia in your tank?

There are a few things you can do.
Water changes to get the ammonia down to the level in your tap water.
Get some Tetra Safe Start
Buy some floating plants. These take up ammonia faster than plants lower down in the tank because they can get their carbon dioxide from the air. You can use fake plants as well, but floating live plants are a good thing to have in a tank. Anything from Salvinia, though water lettuce and Amazon frogbit to water sprite - and hornwort and elodea/egeria/anacharis (same plant, different names) can be used as a floating plant.


I would ignore the pH for now, concentrate on the ammonia. And nitrite if you get a reading above zero for that as well..

I forgot to ask,
How do i attach plants to wood?
Thanks.

 

[Essjay]

You can tie them on with sewing thread or fishing yarn, or even glue them on with superglue. If you use this method, wrap the leaves of the plant in damp paper towels so they don't dry out while the glue sets. Keep the bit with the glue on dry though.

 

[Byron]

Back to the pH issue, I agree with not attempting adjustments, but it is important to know what is behind this.

The pH of the tap water is given as 6.4, but are you sure of this? When testing tap water for pH you must ensure any dissolved CO2 is out-gassed, or the result will be false. You can let a glass of fresh tap water sit 24 hours, then test. That will be a more accurate pH for the tap water. You may find this pH is higher, or not.

Second, what is the GH and KH of the tap water? The pH is part of this "triangle" as well as dissolved CO2. The GH and KH you should be able to ascertain from your water authority, check their website.

Re the ammonia, if this is only .25 I would not worry, provided you have live plants. Do they add chloramine to your water? This might be part of it. Live plants and especially floating are almost a guarantee of no ammonia issues.