Need to Lower the pH for My Ram. Need Some Help.

**teddscau** · 11-05-2010, 08:00 PM

My ram has been suffering from HITH for several weeks now. I've tried everything except lowering my pH. The pH is around 8 and rams are finicky about the pH. I bought some sphagnum moss (sphagnum peat moss is decomposing sphagnum moss) and put it in the filter. How much should I put in a 29g tank? The pH is the only thing that could be affecting my ram. My other ram died today because he quit eating and became too weak to keep going. I'd really appreciate some help with lowering my pH. Thanks.

**Mrs.JayMay23** · 11-05-2010, 08:45 PM

Try using a little bit of aquarium salt to help ease the stress; 1 tbsp per 5 gallons.

my suggestion is to either use ph down or to use crushed coral. If you add some water to your tank by doing a water change, that should do the job as well.

Hope this helps!

**smaug** · 11-05-2010, 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by Mrs.JayMay23

Try using a little bit of aquarium salt to help ease the stress; 1 tbsp per 5 gallons.

my suggestion is to either use ph down or to use crushed coral. If you add some water to your tank by doing a water change, that should do the job as well.

Hope this helps!

First I ned to address this [hopefully] well meaning but totally backwards piece of advice

The op needs to lower there ph and you have given advice which would do the complete opposite.Next,the aquarium salt is also bad news for fish such as these and would actually harden the water as well.Water also increases is hardness with water changes it does not soften.

Now for the OP:
How long have you had these rams amd how long have they had hith?Could you post some pics of your ailing rams?As for softening the water,I do not think that will help with hith in the short term.For softening the water,you are looking at a long term process of adding chems or peat pellets to your filter.To drop it from 8.0 to what is considered soft [7.0 and under] you are looking at quite a bit of work indeed.No one thing will bring it down that far and I don't think it would even be advisable to try as it would create very unstable water conditions that are prone to ph crashes.With water as hard as yours it is better to keep fish that are suited t such a high ph or at the very least do not try to keep any fish that is considered picky to such water like sa cichlids.

**rich311k** · 11-05-2010, 10:05 PM

Unless you go to distilled water you are going to fight a losing battle softening your water. What are your water test readings and how often is the water changed? Also what temperature is the water?

**Mrs.JayMay23** · 11-05-2010, 10:54 PM

Here is a website that I found that might be helpful.

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4577912...-ph-water.html

It says that the salt can alter the ph depending on what type of water it is added to. The salt may help it decrease but there might be an underlying reason why your ph is spiking... What do the other readings look like in your tank?

ammonia?
Nitrites?
Nitrates?

**teddscau** · 11-06-2010, 12:38 AM

My rams have had HITH for at least three weeks without any improvement. No, I can't post pictures of my ram. The camera is aweful. The ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 20-40, pH 8. I keep my tank at 80. I've been doing 50% water changes once or twice a week since the rams got sick. I have them in my 29g tank.

I can't seem to get rid of the HITH.

I have an outbreak of dropsy in my 90g (or at least pine coning). At least 6 of my fish have it. I just noticed it tonight. The parameters are the same in all my tanks. I do a 25% water change each week. What do you think is causing the dropsy?

**Mrs.JayMay23** · 11-06-2010, 01:01 AM

Your water parameters don't sound bad at all except for the ph.

For the HITH, I did a little research for you and it appears that you can use aquarium salt to cure it. 1 tbsp per 5 gallons. here is the link I checked out:http://www.worldcichlids.com/diseases/Adamhith.html and another website saying the same http://www.aquariumlife.net/articles...iseases/20.asp

As far as I know, dropsy is caused by bacterial infections. It can be from poor water quality and/or poor diet.

According some websites, you can also treat dropsy with the salt. Other websites say that it isn't curable.

In my opinion, I would try the salt and see how it goes. Make sure that it is AQUARIUM SALT and nothing else. If you want to try 1 tbsp per 10 gallons and see how it goes that could prevent any fish dying. If they seem to be responding to the treatment, add a little more. But I recommend that you use your better judgement since you know your fish and do what you decide is best.

Good luck and I wish you the best!
Keep me posted on the situation

**rich311k** · 11-06-2010, 01:24 AM

Bump the temp up to 82-84 rams like it warm. I would not use salt but that is up to you. Are they active and eating? How is their color?

**thedeanorama** · 11-06-2010, 02:51 AM

Originally Posted by Mrs.JayMay23

Try using a little bit of aquarium salt to help ease the stress; 1 tbsp per 5 gallons.

my suggestion is to either use ph down or to use crushed coral. If you add some water to your tank by doing a water change, that should do the job as well.

Hope this helps!

Wouldn't crushed coral have the opposite effect? I may be wrong and it also lowers pH down to the 7's, but I just used it to raise my pH up to 7 from 5

**SwordTaleLair** · 11-06-2010, 03:27 AM

I have empirical experience with HITH with my first albino veiltail oscar many years ago. He was so bad, his head looked like swiss cheese and he was very listless. The lfs I went to was an encyclopedia of information, and they said to increase the salt to 1tbsp/10gallons and increase the temp to 85 for a week. Additionally, and they said this was real important, increase oxygenation/air bubbles as much as possible to keep the water oxygenated during this time because the warmer waters hold less oxygen. I saw improved results within 48 hours and within 10 days, he was much much better.

So if nothing else, I can empirically support the advice you have here.

Hope it helps, and good luck.

STL.