Raising a tanks PH???

[Essjay]

This works for you but only because you have soft water and the pH will be acidic, and I suspect your water authority is not adding something to raise pH.

He uses rain water rather than mains water.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

If you test total ammonia at 4 ppm in a tank with a pH of 6.2 and a temperature of 77F, the amount of toxic ammonia (NH3) in your water is 0.0037 ppm. The danger point for NH3 od 0.05 ppm. You do not need to change water here unless the fish are showing signs of ammonia poisoning.
https://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/FreeAmmonia.php

Have a read here https://www.fishforums.net/threads/rescuing-a-fish-in-cycle-gone-wild-part-il.433778/

 

[jaylach]

If you test total ammonia at 4 ppm in a tank with a pH of 6.2 and a temperature of 77F, the amount of toxic ammonia (NH3) in your water is 0.0037 ppm. The danger point for NH3 od 0.05 ppm. You do not need to change water here unless the fish are showing signs of ammonia poisoning.

I used the calculator that you linked and my results were different probably due to my tank temperature being 81F, not 77F. It showed NH3 at 0.0044 PPM. Still, if the danger point is 0.05 I guess I don't have to be frantic.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

You have a window of time here. Even though the NH# is in the safe area, NH$ and time are still not good. The goal is to get the tank cycled ASAP without harming the fish. My normal suggest is not to have fish in over 2 ppm of total ammonia for more than a week or tw. it will still cause harm but not as fast nor anywher near as bad.

Water change lower ammonia but they also prolong the cycle. High ammonia can kill fast but low ammonia can do harm with time.

The fish will tell you when they are having issues with NH4 by how they will act.

 

[jaylach]

I haven't checked Ammonia today but DID throw in some 'starter' yesterday. Also a new pump for the built in filtration should be here tomorrow. The original pump was just too strong and would empty the filter chambers faster than they could fill. Right now I'm strictly on under gravel filtration.

 

[itiwhetu]

He uses rain water rather than mains water.

Only for the last 5 years, before that I had forty years of town supply

 

[StevenF]

Limestone is great as a substrate, also try things like ocean rock or crushed coral in the filter, that’ll raise kh, which then raises ph

Limestone (or sea shells or crushed coral will also ware. They are all mainly calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate will neutralize the acid in your water allowing the PH tostkbilize at about 7 and maybe few 20ths higher. It will affect GH but it should be minor if it is indeed rain water. I have been using a sea shell in my small tank and the highest the pH I have seen is 7.4. Put the coral in the filter. it should neutralize the PH in about a day. During your regal filter mainenance add more if needed. Calcium carbonate slowly dissolves when it neutralizes the acids. I need to replace my sea shell about once a year.

 

[Valkyrie_Lips]

The fixation on pH is because pH is easy to understand. So, I test for pH and let the GH and KH look after themselves.

I also wanted to add onto to what Byron is saying. In order to properly understand how to manipulate pH you need to to understand kH and gH. Though imo kH is more important when it comes to raising and keeping pH stable because it acts as a buffer.

 

[jaylach]

I find myself interested in this GH/KH stuff if for no other reason that I like to learn new stuff... LOL! This is one old dog that CAN learn new tricks.

I see that there are test kits available for at least KH and it would be no problem to pick one up. If not available at my local Petco it is through Petco.com. Say that the KH is either high or low, how do you adjust? Is this done through chemical additions or through natural methods? To be honest I've always preferred natural methods.

 

[Essjay]

High GH and KH can be lowered by adding pure water - reverse osmosis, or rain water if the supply is constant and uncontaminated. The same mixture of pure and tap water must be used at every water change to keep the levels in the tank constant.
Low GH and KH can be raised by adding calcium and magnesium (GH) and carbonate (KH). There are commercial products which raise GH and KH (eg Rift Lake salts and buffers) or things like limestone (calcium carbonate) or dolomite (calcium magnesium carbonate) can be used. Crushed in the filter or as a substrate or chunks of rock as decor.

 

[jaylach]

Thanks.

In the past I may have been doing this without realizing as I always tended to use some aragonite in the substrate. In some other posts I mentioned agate instead of aragonite by mistake.

 

[itiwhetu]

I think the KH and Gh thingy is just way too complicated for the average aquarist to understand and it is made more complicated by having different ways to describe them (dH or ppm). Most people are just looking for a number and when they find what they are looking for they go, phew.

 

[Lynnzer]

You should be able to ascertain the GH (general hardness) and KH (carbonate hardness, also called Alkalinity) from your water authority. Check their website. The GH/KH of the source water is not likely to change in the aquarium, unless you do something to target it. For example, putting calcareous rock, gravel or sand in the tank will raise the GH/KH.

And mixing the water with rainwater or RO will bring both the GH, KH and also the pH down. As will the use of bottled water.
I do a mix of them all to achieve the best possible results for each of my 7 tanks but the mathematics get a bit difficult at times.

 

[jaylach]

I think the KH and Gh thingy is just way too complicated for the average aquarist to understand and it is made more complicated by having different ways to describe them (dH or ppm). Most people are just looking for a number and when they find what they are looking for they go, phew.

Mayhaps but I'm not sure. I think that Essjay has put out a very valid point but but I doubt that it is a critical factor unless delicate critters are involved. If I understand the little I've read so far KH/GH are more buffers to prevent sudden changes in PH than actual PH adjustments.

 

[Byron]

Mayhaps but I'm not sure. I think that Essjay has put out a very valid point but but I doubt that it is a critical factor unless delicate critters are involved. If I understand the little I've read so far KH/GH are more buffers to prevent sudden changes in PH than actual PH adjustments.

The GH is the level of dissolved calcium and magnesium in the water. For many fish species, this is extremely critical, but for some less so--always assuming extremes (opposite to the species' requirements) are not involved. Mollies for example cannot be healthy nor long-lived in soft acidic water. Hard water species must have the minerals in the water in order to be able to function well. In contrast, soft water species will in time develop calcium blockages of the kidneys particularly if they are kept in harder water. The pH, provided it is stable and does not rapidly fluctuate, is of much less concern for many (but not all) species--though again, always assuming extremes are avoided. If the GH is suited to the species, in most cases the pH will follow--but there are always exceptions.