Ph

[christine]

I have a 20 gal with a big pleco ( I got him from my sisters friend) and a khuni loach. They are very happy looking but the Ph is pretty low. I added Ph up but It doesnt seem to be working... Should I add bacteria?All the other water parameters are fine ( however ammonia is at .5)

 

[FishDan]

Personally, I think if you want to change pH the only way to attempt it is via natural methods. I never recommend using chemicals, as they more often than not, do not work, or work only short-term and often lead to pH crashes or other problems.

Before I give advice about changing pH, what is your pH level? Many (all but the most sensitive) fish will adapt to just about all but the most extreme pH values, so it probably is not even necessary to alter your pH.

\Dan

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I second the above.

Don't attempt to change the pH unless you are sure about what you're doing. Mixing chemicals or just adding them is a waste of money and dangerous if it is not necessary.

Also, kuhli loach is what you're referring to? get to about 3", so you're good there as long as you're feeding it properly. However, the plec, if it is common, will get pretty big (15"). Just wanted to give you a heads up in case you didn't know.

 

[christine]

My PH is currently about 6.2 but the pleco and loach had already been living in this tank for a couple years before I took them home...maybe theyre used to it that way?

 

[George Farmer]

I'd be more concerned with an ammonia level of .5 (I assume you mean 0.5 mg/l). Your ammonia level should always be zero if your filter is working effectively. You might be ok because ammonia is less toxic at a lower pH but if you perform a water change and increase the pH then this ammonia will become highly toxic and may harm/kill your fish.

What is the pH of you tap water? How old is your pH kit? They can become inaccurate after a year if it's a liquid kit.

 

[FishDan]

A pH of 6.2 is a little on the low side, but as I said most fish will adapt to the level. If your current fish have been in the tank for a long time (sounds like it) then they are fine. Changing the pH at this point may stress the fish, leading to illness or death. Especially if it is changed to rapidly.

If you were planning on adding new fish, you should consider that if you buy them locally they are in water similar to yours, so they should be at a pH level about the same as yours. If not, or if you buy your fish online or from farther away, take your time to aclimate your new fish to your tank. A longer slower aclimation period will avoid shocking and killing your new fish.

A stable (either "low" or "high" pH is far, far better than a "perfect" pH that is artificially maintaned and prone to swings in either direction. A stable pH that is "low" or "high" will not kill your fish, one that changes often or at extremes will.

\Dan

 

[christine]

I was cleaning out the tank last weekend and there is quite a lot of guck under the gravel ( i finally decided to dig down deep after I got the tank from my sister's friend a couple weeks ago). There was snail waste galore . how the haeck do I take all that out...Im assuming that's why the ammonia is a little high. last weekend I took out about 1/2 of the water but I didn't want to do a lot more......Im trying to take out the snails but theyre everywhere.......I put someplants in...hopefully they will use up some of this stuff....YUCK! by the way my test kit for ammonia is brand new

 

[FishDan]

To remove most of the "guck" from under your gravel you just need to continue with what it sounds like you started. Deep gravel vacs will eventually get most of this stuff out from your gravel. You will have to stir up the gravel when you siphon as well. If the buildup is that bad under your gravel, I would do the cleaning in sections, to avoid doing such a large waer change at once. Maybe in thirds.

\Dan

 

[George Farmer]

I was refering to the pH test kit age but if your ammonia kit is brand new then one can assume the 0.5 mg/l level is accurate. Is it still this high after water changes?

If you compare your tank pH with your tap pH then you'll have an idea if the tank is too low. I'd suggest the excessive nitryfying bacteria caused by all the waste has caused the low pH.

 

[reg2k2]

If your current fish have been in the tank for a long time (sounds like it) then they are fine.

Not necessarily...I had a pleco and a tetra go several yrs before I knew there was an issue w/ my water.

If you compare your tank pH with your tap pH then you'll have an idea if the tank is too low.

 

[FishDan]

If your current fish have been in the tank for a long time (sounds like it) then they are fine.

Not necessarily...I had a pleco and a tetra go several yrs before I knew there was an issue w/ my water.

If you compare your tank pH with your tap pH then you'll have an idea if the tank is too low.

Please define "an issue", there are many things that can be harmful in your water. In terms of the pH level the fish will be fine, so long as the pH remains stable. This is of course only in relation to the pH, other factors in the tank and the water eill affect the fish differently. But a stable pH (for the most part, regardless of its level) will not cause "long term" problems to the fish if they were properly acclimated in the first place.

\Dan

 

[reg2k2]

True enough. My problem was exactly that---0KH, an unstable pH.
During that time, when my tank came up w/ a pH of >7.0 (my normal tank reading), I put it down to lack of maintenance...which may well be the case w/ christine's tank...

But I don't think we can assume a low pH is a stable pH until we know the source.

 

[sinistral]

One of the most useful resources I've found on low ph in the well-established aquarium is here. Hopefully this is helpful.

I would guess that the most likely source of your low pH is extended time without regular maintenance (though, as reg2k2 pointed out, this may or may not be the case)-- namely, due to the accumulated metabolic processes in the tank (fish waste, mainly, as nitrogenous wastes generally tend to acidify water over time).

If this assumption is correct, it is probable as FishDan suggested, that the fish have become accustomed to this pH. Again, if this is the case, you do not want to raise the pH dramatically right away (this has been alluded to multiple times in this thread). Regular water changes should help, with measurement of the pH.