What Can I Do With The Low Ph Level?

[HYJ]

Hi I have 5 gallon aquarium with 3 cardinals and 2 neons.

I set up this tank about 9 months ago so the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate level is fine.

The problem is my PH level has been staying around 6.0 since this summer.

There has been a driftwood in my tank since I first set up the tank.. but the PH level used to be 7.0 most of the times.

I just don't know why it's so low now.

As for now, I guess the 6.0 is OK because tetras prefer acidic water, but I want to add one or two male guppies in the tank.

I know there are many products there that adjusts PH level instantly..but are these products safe to use?

Also is there a reason why the PH level has been so low since few months ago?

Thanks

 

[waynelle]

We have had a similar problem with one of our tanks before. PH level was off the scale, acid. So we were advised by our LFS to do a 50% water change, leave it for 5 days then do another 50% change, leave it for a few days and then test it again. So we did this and the reading was still the same. So we added a dose of PH Up for 3 days and now the reading is fine. We are fairly new to all this so someone might be able to give you better advise but PH Up is safe to use when there is fish in the tank.

 

[HYJ]

We have had a similar problem with one of our tanks before. PH level was off the scale, acid. So we were advised by our LFS to do a 50% water change, leave it for 5 days then do another 50% change, leave it for a few days and then test it again. So we did this and the reading was still the same. So we added a dose of PH Up for 3 days and now the reading is fine. We are fairly new to all this so someone might be able to give you better advise but PH Up is safe to use when there is fish in the tank.

Hi thanks for the reply. So...are you saying that none of your fish died after you used PH up product? Which product did you use? I might want to get the PH 7.0 instead of PH Up though.

 

[waynelle]

No nothing died at all, a couple of fish died beforehand but once we added the PH Up they were all fine and seem a lot more active since we sorted the water too

I think its just called PH Up, not entirely sure on the make but I can find out for you tomorrow when I get the box as I dont have it with me at the moment.

 

[howard_hopkinson]

I suggest you test your KH(carbonate hardness) level.

If as I suspect it turns out to be low, then this would explain your low PH.

Once you know your KH, take a look HERE, you might find it useful.

 

[waterdrop]

Cardinal and Neon Tetras quite like a pH of 6.0 and staying at the pH your tank ends up at by just using your normal water source and no chemical changes is far preferred over making adjustments. Its not that you can't do a good job of constantly monitoring and adjusting your water chemistry to this new "baseline," its just that eventually everyone makes some kind of mistake or has some event that causes the fish to undergo an adverse change. So I'd not change... but then you said that was your plan I think!

I agree that once you get interested in this topic and certainly if you really plan possible changes then its really good to purchase a liquid kit of two tests that can measure KH and GH. These measures of mineral content are really the underlying thing of interest and the thing that is more important to fish than pH. There are numerous threads on TFF and lots of info you can study on these topics.

My observation from many TFF discussions is that neither chemical adjustments (like pH Up) nor even baking soda (sodium bicarbonate or "bicarb" for short) are considered preferred ways of raising pH in a tank that has fish. That preference usually is awarded to what we call "Crushed Coral" which is actually broken up pieces of coral and seashell cleaned some and bagged for sale in the LFS. The way it works if you use it is that it is placed ideally in the filter and very, very slowly dissolves into the tank water, raising KH, which then raises pH. You put a small partial palmful into a mesh bag and during filter cleanings remove it and rinse it to remove debris so that it can still dissolve. The reason CC is preferred over bicarb is that the bicarb leaves too much sodium in the tank. Bicarb is the preferred method only during fishless cycling because the bicarb can all come back out of the tank prior to fish going in.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[HYJ]

Cardinal and Neon Tetras quite like a pH of 6.0 and staying at the pH your tank ends up at by just using your normal water source and no chemical changes is far preferred over making adjustments. Its not that you can't do a good job of constantly monitoring and adjusting your water chemistry to this new "baseline," its just that eventually everyone makes some kind of mistake or has some event that causes the fish to undergo an adverse change. So I'd not change... but then you said that was your plan I think!

I agree that once you get interested in this topic and certainly if you really plan possible changes then its really good to purchase a liquid kit of two tests that can measure KH and GH. These measures of mineral content are really the underlying thing of interest and the thing that is more important to fish than pH. There are numerous threads on TFF and lots of info you can study on these topics.

My observation from many TFF discussions is that neither chemical adjustments (like pH Up) nor even baking soda (sodium bicarbonate or "bicarb" for short) are considered preferred ways of raising pH in a tank that has fish. That preference usually is awarded to what we call "Crushed Coral" which is actually broken up pieces of coral and seashell cleaned some and bagged for sale in the LFS. The way it works if you use it is that it is placed ideally in the filter and very, very slowly dissolves into the tank water, raising KH, which then raises pH. You put a small partial palmful into a mesh bag and during filter cleanings remove it and rinse it to remove debris so that it can still dissolve. The reason CC is preferred over bicarb is that the bicarb leaves too much sodium in the tank. Bicarb is the preferred method only during fishless cycling because the bicarb can all come back out of the tank prior to fish going in.

~~waterdrop~~

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

I was actually reading other posts at other forums, and some people say that fish may get harmed if there's sudden change of PH level by 0.5 or greater.

If so, is there a good chance that my neons and cardinals will die if I use the PH 7.0 product?

Also, if I decide to get few glowlight tetras instead of guppies, will they adjust to my tank well? Although they would prefer acidic water, I think the PH level at the LFS is around 7.0. In other words, I am wondering if they will get harmed when introduced in my tank due to the PH level difference.

 

[waynelle]

Yeah that is right, it can harm your fish. Which is why you do it over 3-5 days, depending on how low the PH is, so your only rainsing the PH a little bit everyday. If you raise the PH too much the fish may die due to the shock of the sudden PH change, that itself is just as dangerous as them living in acid so you need to do it gradually.

 

[waterdrop]

You are correct that -stability- of KH and pH is preferred over actual value level. But whether those kind of changes are enough to hurt a given individual fish of a given species is another thing. Often fish will turn out to be tougher than you think.

Glolights would be a much better choice than guppies as of course guppies like the hard alk. side of things better than acid. Maybe you'll luck out and someone with direct experience with glolight environmental prefs will happen along!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[drobbyb]

I have to use crushed coral in my filters. It works very well and does it slowly enough as to not harm the fish. You regulate the pH by testing and doing waterchanges when needed. We really aren't aiming to raise the pH. What we are attempting to do is prevent a pH crash. There is a catch though. If you go too long between waterchanges, you run the risk of harming the fish. What happens is that the crushed coral continues to gradually increase your pH and hardness. If you perform a large waterchange you will subject your fish to a pH and hardness swing. If large enough this can be fatal for your fish. So it is not a decision to be made lightly. For me, I can go 7 days between waterchanges.

 

[waterdrop]

I have to use crushed coral in my filters. It works very well and does it slowly enough as to not harm the fish. You regulate the pH by testing and doing waterchanges when needed. We really aren't aiming to raise the pH. What we are attempting to do is prevent a pH crash. There is a catch though. If you go too long between waterchanges, you run the risk of harming the fish. What happens is that the crushed coral continues to gradually increase your pH and hardness. If you perform a large waterchange you will subject your fish to a pH and hardness swing. If large enough this can be fatal for your fish. So it is not a decision to be made lightly. For me, I can go 7 days between waterchanges.

Yes, I think for many people it really comes down to this as the main thing! Its so easy to have a weekend when you are away! The assignment of needing to truly change each week is a tough one!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[natalie265]

I agree w/waterdrop and robby and would discourage you from using "Ph up" chemicals. The easiest way to deal w/low ph tap water is to choose fish who prefer this kind of water. I have the opposite problem that you have--my tap water is extremely hard and basic and my favorite fish all prefer soft, acidic water!

 

[waterdrop]

I agree w/waterdrop and robby and would discourage you from using "Ph up" chemicals. The easiest way to deal w/low ph tap water is to choose fish who prefer this kind of water. I have the opposite problem that you have--my tap water is extremely hard and basic and my favorite fish all prefer soft, acidic water!

Yes, and oh how much harder that is to change if you were to even decide you wanted to do it. The preferred method there is to use "RO" (Reverse Osmosis) water but to then mix tap water back in in some ratio (that has to be figured out by trial and error I believe) so that there will be a desired mineral content to the water.

~~waterdrop~~
ps. HYJ... looking back I realize I didn't mean to cut off our line of thought about what difference (in pH and/or underlying mineral content) over how short a time period would usually represent a fatal and/or harmful change to the majority of species. I've not seen a lot of discussion of that here in the beginners section, so it would be really fun to find out what our "experts" think about it... if we could ever rouse them out of their "discussion" or "marine" sections, LOL