pH problems

**shockshockshad** · 09-30-2007, 01:02 PM

I want my pH between 6.5 and 7, but my water is 7.8. I don't want to mess with the pH and wreck my tank. Well, I guess I will have too, but what is the easiest way that doesn't make the pH go too high or too low; I want one with say, a bottle that says "7.5 ph. Put this much in to get a reading of 7.5" But I want 6.5 to 7.

**Algenco** · 09-30-2007, 01:46 PM

First, why do you feel you have to change the PH?
Fish are very adaptable to PH, in very few instances is it beneficial or necessary to change it.

**shockshockshad** · 09-30-2007, 01:59 PM

I feel I need to change it because I am going to have softwater fish. I think they are at least. But now that you say that I don't need to change the pH, that changes everything. Fish: Harlequin rasboras, Banded gourami, bronze cories.

**Lady Hobbs** · 09-30-2007, 02:25 PM

As gm72 said, fish are very adaptable. Most fish we get now are farm raised in big cement tanks. They then go to distributors and then to stores and then to our homes and each have a different pH.

If you had a low pH, Proper PH 7 would probably work for you. But having it higher than you want is a losing situation. You can lower it but it will pop right back up in a few hours and this jumping back and forth is what kills fish. They are much better off with a steady pH no matter what it is.

Driftwood helps lower it for a time but eventually even that doesn't do much. Running peat pellets thru the filter will lower it but you will have tannins and it may lower the pH more than you want. If your tank is planted, CO2 will also lower it.

Aerating the water raises it.

It's best to just leave it alone and let your fish adapt to what you offer them. If some fish can not tolerate that pH, then stick with those that can. All my fish have been in 7.6 for over a year and all do fine.

pH should never be adjusted more than .4 in any 24 hours. You would have pH jumping all over the place with every water change.

**Algenco** · 09-30-2007, 02:28 PM

Fish that you purchase locally are already adjusted to local water conditions.
Changing PH can create a lot of problems , the least of which is that you would have to have a holding tank to store your PH adjusted water for WC.

Unless you are housing wild caught fish or attempting to breed some of the more sensitive species you're better off not messing with PH.

**shockshockshad** · 09-30-2007, 02:31 PM

Thank you. I'm glad I don't have to go and get pH adjusters!

**Lady Hobbs** · 09-30-2007, 03:21 PM

A very good decision. I have a variety of fish and none have complained about my pH yet. Angels, neons, rasbora, gourami, platies, silver dollars, sharks, etc. About the only fish I know of that need pH adjusted (raised) is some of the cichlids but not all.

**CAF** · 10-01-2007, 04:31 PM

If you feel that you NEED to lower your pH, you can do so via water changes and the addition of RO water to the pH 7.8 you currently have. There are a few species such as Crystal Red Shrimp that do not do well in higher pH's. However if you are strictly keeping fish, as it has already been said above, fish are quite adaptable. Discus can be kept in a variety of pHs howver they will only breed successfully in lower pH. Research the fauna you are planning to keep and make an informed decsion from there.