What Should I Do?

[heatwave]

I done a 20% water change Tuesday, i dont have a test kit but as the LFS do them free i thought id take a water sample in.
All my stats are ok apart from my PH level (6.8). Ive bought API proper pH 7.0, but having read the back of the bottle it states not to be used with aquarium plants (which i have!) so i dont think im going to use it ... unless there is a way of keeping my plants alive as i dont have another tank.

Do you think i should give it another couple of days to see if the PH rises? If i have to do another waterchange i will have to, but i was hoping that was a last resort.

Thanks

 

[WILDER]

Don't use ph adusters there more trouble than there worth.

Whats your tap ph?

Also invest in some liquid test kits of your own. As not all lfs are to be trusted.

 

[kevinjames]

How often are u doing water changes and how much water?

 

[elisew]

Why is a PH of 6.8 a problem to you?

One thing I would strongly advise against is to rely on your lfs to test properly or be honest about the results. Have a read around the forum and you`ll see that an awful lot of lfs` lie about the test results in an attempt to cover the fact they gave the wrong info in the first place i.e not advising to fishless cycle or they use it as a ploy to sell you extra stuff such as the ph proper.

You`d be much, much better off buying yourself an API master kit to do the testing yourself, it`s quick and easy and at least you`ll know that things are done properly

 

[rdp50734]

Not all people can use their own test kits. Quite a few men are red green colour blind and it varies in severity. Basically red green colour blindness affects seeing shades that are close to other colours causing them to blend into one another. This makes test kits very hard to use for someone red green colour blind myself included.

 

[Athena]

Maybe one day someone will invent some kind of digital testing kit LOL - something that gives you an actual reading in numbers rather than checking colours eh?

You just never know with modern-day technology!

 

[rdp50734]

They do have it for phosphate!

 

[SlyPolak]

Most fish stores (atleast all of the ones around here) use strips to test anyways... no point as I see it to waste your time going there unless you see them using liquid..

 

[heatwave]

How often are u doing water changes and how much water?

Im doing 20% water change every 1-2 weeks. It was my second waterchange, as i have only had the tank 5 weeks or so.

 

[SlyPolak]

Is it a mature filter???

I do 50% weekly changes on all my tanks but Im not cycling.....

 

[heatwave]

Why is a PH of 6.8 a problem to you?

I didnt think it was much of a problem but when i went to buy some other Tetras, the guy at the LFS said as my PH is so low he cant sell me any

Is it a mature filter???

I do 50% weekly changes on all my tanks but Im not cycling.....

The tank is 5 weeks

 

[SlyPolak]

TOTAL BULL!!!!!!!!!!!!

ANY fish will adjust to almost ANY Ph if you acclimate it slowly and correctly!.. do drip acclimation or just float the bag and gthrow a cup of you tank water in there every 15 mins for a good hour and 1/2.....

Another case of "well the shop guy said this" because they dont know what they are talking about themselves!!!!!!!


makes me want to cry in anger


on the age of the tank .... you should make sure you are properly cycled or atleast have mature media from somewhere before you start throwing fish in.... unless youre going for a fish-in cycle then thumbs down to you bud

 

[coldcazzie]

LOL well that should tell you how much they don't know about fish then shouldn't it?!

Tetras come from part of the world where the pH can be as low as 4, so I really don't think 6.8 would bother them.

 

[heatwave]

Maybe one day someone will invent some kind of digital testing kit LOL - something that gives you an actual reading in numbers rather than checking colours eh?

You just never know with modern-day technology!

Ive wondered if these are any good ...

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-DIGITAL-HAND-HELD-PH-METER-WINE-POOL-WATER-TESTER-/180532956629?pt=UK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN&hash=item2a089a4dd5

 

[Athena]

Did you ask what the PH of the store is in their tanks?

According to online sources (e.g. Wikipedia - "Neon tetras are considered easy to keep in a community aquarium that is at least 60 cm (24 inches), with a pH of 6.0–7.8") so basically there's nothing wrong with keeping neon tetras at the PH level in your tank.

Oh, I'm assuming they are neons...

Maybe what the LFS chap meant was that because their current PH is dramatically different to yours that the PH shock could kill them. Just a guess.

Athena