Uh Oh - PH cockup

[melcrawshaw]

Can anyone advise please?

After taking a PH reading and finding it too high, we bought some stuff from our aquatic supplier that was supposed to regulate the PH level back to 7.0. We read the instructions carefully but we have been left with really cloudy water, so cloudy in fact that you can't see anything.

It did say on the pack that there would be clouding but it should be corrected by the filter. This was 24 hours ago. I have done a partial water change in the hope that it might dilute it but it is just as cloudy.

Could this be showing that my filter may not be effective? I have a new filter arriving tomorrow that I was keeping to set up a new tank, could I put this in my tank (10gal UK), with the other running in hope to clear the water?

The fish don't seem bothered at all, they are all looking healthy, eating normally. According to the pack the cloud is totally safe for them.

 

[modernhamlet]

You've just learned one of the many reasons not to use chemical pH adjusters. They also tend to be unstable, leading to pH swings, something very dangerous to fish.

Most fish can do perfectly fine in the range of pH that may come out of your tap (usually 6.0 - 8.2). If you find your tapwater pH to be REALLY high or low for the particular species you're keeping, a small amount of peat (to lower) or crushed coral/limestone (to raise) can be added to the filter media or a clean sock in the tank. The key is natural and gradual changes.

Also... In general, try to keep fish that do best at the pH of your water. That way you don't have to worry about manipulating the pH so much. For example, If your tapwater is pH 8.2, you probably don't want to keep Discus, but Rift Lake Cichlids might do wonderfully!

Good luck with your tank!

 

[melcrawshaw]

We really thought that we were doing the right thing, adjusting the PH. It's so hard when you are just starting out and seem to get conflicting advice from other owners, specialists, books etc.

Is there nothing I can do? Having taken water readings today, we now have both ammonia and nitrites showing although the fish are showing no signs of stress they obviously are.

Am I going to lose these fish?

 

[tstenback]

How old is this tank? How many and what type of fish are we talking about? Has the tank cycled or are you using these fish to cycle the tank? the answers will help those here to give you better advice.
There is no need to think you will definitely loose the fish as long as you give the info above someone here can help you through with minimal stress on your fish.

Good luck and pass on those answers

 

[thecichlidaddict]

melcrawshaw

Do yourself and the fish a favor by not overcomplicating the matter!

I agree with MH completely, don't worry about your PH. I keep all of my tanks at the same ph, which is what the tap water comes out at - 8.2. No problems. As mentioned, I'd rather a ph that is a little more or less then ideal then to start messing around with unstable products.

Do frequent small water changes to get rid of that proper ph stuff and to dilute any toxins in the water. Keep doing these water changes to keep the nitrites/ammonia down until the aquarium can get itself back in order. As long as you don't let these toxins climb to high you will not lose any fish. Also, feed lightly, ever other day, until things are stable again, overfeeding the tank will not help matters.

Good luck.

 

[melcrawshaw]

Hi,

To answer your questions we got the tank from a neighbour three weeks ago, with all but 5 of the fish (we added the black neon tetras) these are 8 neon tetras and one 2" pleco and the 5 black neons, we took all of the original water and the established filter (which was left off for less than hour). Obviously we have done water changes since then. The tank was in a filthy condition, so we had thoroughly cleaned the gravel but haven't touched the filter as of yet.

As I said in the original post I am getting a new filter tomorrow, which was for a new larger tank that we will be getting for these to go in, once it was all set up and cycled, can I use this filter IN ADDITION to the one in my tank to clear the water up?

The water is so cloudy and the PH level has been reduced obviously too quickly. Quite frankly I am at my wits end and feel so wretched that we may have done more harm than good.

 

[tstenback]

keep up with the water changes. If you did a thorough gravel clean then you may be experiencing a bacterial bloom as a great deal of bacteria makes its home in the gravel. This may also be why you are getting the positve ammonia and nitrite readings.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

can I use this filter IN ADDITION to the one in my tank to clear the water up?

Absolutely, it will also help to seed the new filter so that the new tank will cycle faster.

As I said, stop worrying, keep up the water changes, and in the future by all means do not add any thing at all to your aquarium except water conditioner without getting 2nd, 3rd, and 4th opinions, because the chances are you don't need it!

 

[melcrawshaw]

How often should I do the water changes and how much?

(my apologies if I am being a thickie! ) )

Oh and trust me no more chemicals will be purchased by me, it's been a harsh lesson to learn)

 

[thecichlidaddict]

How often should I do the water changes and how much?

Do water changes of about 10-15% every day until your ph has stabelized again.

Once your ph is back to normal levels you can change as much water as you wish or need to, up to 50% as long as you can get the temperature of the newly added water close. If you are measuring ammonia or nitrites then do as many water changes as it takes to keep them down.

A normally stocked, stable aquarium would generally be able to keep clean and healthy long term with water changes every other week of about 25%. For heavier stocking levels I recommend weekly changes, and for light stocking levels you can get away with monthly, though I still recommend doing it every other week.

If you really want an accurate water change schedule you must figure out how much to change. A simplified method of doing this is to measure you nitrates before every water change. Your water change schedule should be enough to keep the nitrates from climbing past what they were at the previous testing.

I do water changes of about a third of the volume every week on all my tanks. Nitrates never get beyond about 10 or so and I am a firm believer that clean and fresh water is the best thing anyone can do for their fish. One thing to keep in mind is that in our aquariums even a lightly stocked tank is very heavily stocked compared to in nature. It is our job, IMO to keep their environment as fresh and clean as possible, just like it would be in nature

 

[rollntider]

and if you are worried about adjusting your ph, where i live i have slightly acidic water (it will become 6.0) because the total akalinity is very low here. If you want to raise your ph I usually add a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to my water per 30 gallons. this will buffer the water and help stabilize the ph. I always start my tanks with something like proper ph by aquarium pharmacuticals and it will put it in the proper PH range of 7.0 and then about every 4th water change I add a little baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) I usually stay in the 6.8 to 7.4 range. If your total akalinity is high in your area DONT ADD the baking soda. It will raise your PH. I used to clean pools and had to manage ph on thousands of gallons at a time and Baking soda would always fix the ph and keep it steady. if you cant find an aquarium test kit that tests total akalinity look in the pool care section of a wal mart type of store and they usually have one. usually 80- 100 ppm will give you close to a neutral Ph.
If you total akalinty is stable then your PH will remain stable. If you try adjusting the ph you are address the systom not the problem. I always shoot for total akalinity of 80 and that gives me approx. 7 ph reading and I am usually good to go....