Some Questions About Ph

[Eloise]

I've got a 40 gallon tank, that cycles perfectly and in which my fish seem to be happy (though crowded). I've recently purchased a new 130 gallon tank. I've started Monday. However, I've noticed that the water in this tank has a ph of 7.4. I've tested my tap water's ph, it's 7.4, just like my new tank (nothing surprising here). Why then does my old 40 gallon tank has a ph of only 6.4? Will the ph difference affect my fish when I transfer them?

 

[OrganizedChaos69]

Yes the old tank has detritus that has accumulated and it gives off acids as byproducts. Thats why it is likely more acidic. It will affect the fish that you transfer. You will need to bring the tank with the fish up to a ph matching the new tank, or bring the new tanks ph down to the old tanks ph. Either way, make sure they are the same ph and temperature before you switch them. This is essential for all the fish staying healthy and stress free.



AHAHAH hypno toad, i love futurama.

 

[K.J.]

Could be what's in the filter. I would add about the water from the old tank into the bigger tank with a little bit of new water, and then during water changes slowly raise it up, shouldn't be too much trouble for the fish.

 

[Eloise]

Could be what's in the filter. I would add about the water from the old tank into the bigger tank with a little bit of new water, and then during water changes slowly raise it up, shouldn't be too much trouble for the fish.

The problem is that my new aquarium is 130 gallon and my old one is only 40. Even if I was to fill my new one with the old one, 40 gallon wouldn't change much, would it? Beside, I'd love to keep my old one working, to use as an emergency tank (at least until the cycling process is ok).

So, how am I to make the ph even?

 

[OrganizedChaos69]

Hmmm I wouldn't add the old water to the new tank, that will simply add more waste/Detritus/ and Harmful bacteria than it will good bacteria.

THe majority of helpful bacteria are on your filters or in your gravel. The best option is to use the old tanks filters for a while and allow the helpful bacteria to spread throughout the tank. If you do this, your tank will already have a successful and working colony of bacteria instead of having to grow it's own.

 

[Eloise]

Hmmm I wouldn't add the old water to the new tank, that will simply add more waste/Detritus/ and Harmful bacteria than it will good bacteria.

THe majority of helpful bacteria are on your filters or in your gravel. The best option is to use the old tanks filters for a while and allow the helpful bacteria to spread throughout the tank. If you do this, your tank will already have a successful and working colony of bacteria instead of having to grow it's own.

I didn't want to transfer my filter from the old tank to the new, as this will leave me with no filter for the old one (or a way too powerful one). What I did was this: I washed the foam insert in the water of the new tank, in the hope of transfering some good bacterias. My ammonia level had risen to .4 (or so) that morning and it dropped very fast at almost 0 after I did this. Do you think it helped to quick start the cycling process?

However, I'm still stuck with my ph problem.

So far, I transfered three corys and a loach clown and they seem very well.

 

[OrganizedChaos69]

Well you'll need new filters for the new tank. But are they compatable filters? Or completely different. The ph problem is simple use ph increaser or decreser, whatever route you take, and slowly bring the levels to similar ph's

 

[K.J.]

I wouldn't do chemicals, just put peat in the filter. Or use rainwater, though I can't remember off hand if that lowers or raises the PH.

 

[Eloise]

Well you'll need new filters for the new tank. But are they compatable filters? Or completely different. The ph problem is simple use ph increaser or decreser, whatever route you take, and slowly bring the levels to similar ph's

They're both Eheim filters, but they're of very different size and filtering capacity. The new (larger) one is eheim pro, while the other is only eheim. They don't use the same filtering products.

I've posted in the cichlid forum asking for which ph my fish will like best. What do you think is better? A ph of 7.4 or one of 6.4? I've also got a pleco, some corys and plants, if it matters.

 

[OrganizedChaos69]

rainwater is normally 6.2 ph i believe. Personally getting rainwater is too much of a hassle, and peat is not available where I'm from. I find chemicals work fine, it's not like your using drano to bring the ph up, your using a chemical specifically meant for fish tanks and fish.

 

[Danno]

Do not change your pH. It is fine the way it is. It would be more harmful to start fluctuating the pH.

 

[K.J.]

Seems like they would mind the chemicals more than the pH. If in doubt, just add a few fish first and if they look good add the rest, I've never had a problem with changing pH, but it really is a nuisance to add chemicals.

 

[Eloise]

Do not change your pH. It is fine the way it is. It would be more harmful to start fluctuating the pH.

Then do you think that the ph change will be harmful for the fish ? They've been through worse in the past, but as I've got now some aggressivity issues (my fish are stress, but not hurt physically) in their small, overcrowded tank, I'm afraid they're not in their best shape...

 

[OrganizedChaos69]

I can't disagree more. Guys I feel like your giving false information here. It's not a good idea to say things that your not 100 percent sure about, you may mislead this person. The ph change is 10 times more harmful than the chemicals. Ok the chemicals are completely harmless to the fish. 100 percent harmless and stress free. These chemcials actually have additives to increase the slime coat and bring the color out in your fish.

Eloise, i'm going to have to call these guys out saying they are wrong here. Make sure the ph's and temperatures are the same before you continue to transfer fish, of course you do this over time and not in one attempt to change the ph. But going from 6.4 to 7.4 can be fairly harmful. What these people fail to realize that 1 ph difference actually means that the water is over 10 times more acidic than the last level. Pure water starts at a level of one, and a ph of one ends up being 10 million times more acidic than the pure water. A ph of 6 is 10 times more acidic, 5 is 100 times etc.. it doesn't mean that it is slightly more acidic, it is WAY more acidic. a ph of 2 can burn through your skin, 2 is only 4 away from 6.4.

Guys rethink your knowledge of fish before you give false info.

 

[Eloise]

Seems like they would mind the chemicals more than the pH. If in doubt, just add a few fish first and if they look good add the rest, I've never had a problem with changing pH, but it really is a nuisance to add chemicals.

Well I've added three corys yesterday evening before going to bed. They're doing fine. I've added a loach clown this morning. He seems fine to. All have eaten well. The ammonia is surprisingly low (less than 0.25, I'd say close to 0.15ppm). No nitrites, no nitrates. The ammonia was at .4ppm yesterday morning, before I washed the filtering material in my old filter in the new tank's water. I've added also a lot of products the are said to make the cycling process faster. If I get to much of an ammonia spike, I've got a filtering product that I can add to the filter called 'nitrazorb' that's awesome.

I'm trying to transfer my fish as fast as possible as they're so overcrowded in my old fish tank. The stress and aggressivity is high.

I've added my smallest severum an hour ago. He was acting funny (stress?), so that's when I thought about ph...

He seems fine now.

I can't disagree more. Guys I feel like your giving false information here. It's not a good idea to say things that your not 100 percent sure about, you may mislead this person. The ph change is 10 times more harmful than the chemicals. Ok the chemicals are completely harmless to the fish. 100 percent harmless and stress free. These chemcials actually have additives to increase the slime coat and bring the color out in your fish.

Eloise, i'm going to have to call these guys out saying they are wrong here. Make sure the ph's and temperatures are the same before you continue to transfer fish, of course you do this over time and not in one attempt to change the ph. But going from 6.4 to 7.4 can be fairly harmful. What these people fail to realize that 1 ph difference actually means that the water is over 1,000 times more acidic. it doesn't mean that it is slightly more acidic, it is WAY more acidic. a ph of 2 can burn through your skin, 2 is only 4 away from 6.4.

Guys rethink your knowledge of fish before you give false info.

The ph in the new tank is 7.4

Is it better for the fish than the 6.4 of the old tank? I don't know which one is better.

I usually collect rain water for my plants, but it hasn't rained in days. My buckets are depleted. It should be raining sunday, though, if I need to acidify my new tank's water.