Realy High PH

I decided I wanted some South American Blue Ram Cichlids on Friday so I went to my local LFS. After talking with the lady at my local LFS I decided I should test my PH and KH first. I woke this morning and tested my PH only to discover it at around 8.4. Aghast, I re-checked and re-checked and still 8.4. Still unable to believe what I was seeing I gathered up a bottle of the aquarium water and headed down to my local LFS. I had them verify my readings. Well it turned out it was 8.4 and I was at lost as what to do. I brought my tap water with as well to have him verify the PH level. 8.4 CRAP! He tested the KH as well and it took 23 drops to turn the water from blue to yellow (apparently that’s very high). I had tested my tap water before I started the tank 3 months ago and the PH was at a reasonable 7.3.The gentleman at the LFS told me I need to do a 15% water change using R/O water. I wanted an easy maintenance tank with tap water but it would seem the tap is no good. I don’t want to go and buy R/O water from the store every week to do a water change. I need ideas as what I should do (preferably cheap ones). Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Plants and fish are all doing really well. (From what I can tell)

55 Gallons Dirted

3 large pieces of bog wood

10 anubias

20 stems of vale

1 Apon-Ulvaceus

3 bunches ludwigia

3 Rotala Macrandra

6 Dwarf Lily

2 Tiger lotus

2 Amazon swords

11 Neon Tetra

6 Cory Cats

6 Otocinclus Cats

1 Male Beta

0 members like this

Comment by Jeremy robinson on November 12, 2012 at 4:42pm: I never check my ph levels and my ram cichlids are doing fine.

Comment by D r R on November 12, 2012 at 10:42pm: pH rises in tank water when co2 levels are lower. I myself have the same water parameters and started doing pressurized co2 injection and EI dosing.

Comment by Steve Heitman on November 13, 2012 at 12:53pm: When you tested your water straight from the tap it still had Co2 suspended in it. To get the true ph of your tap water you should have let it sit overnight, or used an air stone for a couple hours to agitate the co2 out of the water.

But, stable ph is more important in most cases. So if your fish are fine in that ph I wouldn't mess with it.

Comment by Steve Heitman on November 13, 2012 at 12:55pm: Surprised the bog wood isn't lowering it somewhat???

Comment by Pat McCormick on November 13, 2012 at 1:19pm: It could be that I did a water change the day before I checked the aquarium so the bog wood hasen't had a chance to lower it yet.

Comment by Steve Heitman on November 13, 2012 at 1:57pm: hmmm maybe.

I had the same question a few years back when I first started. I was getting 7.2 out of the tap, but 8.4 in the tank.

But I thought it might be my dechlorinator making it rise! LOL!

Comment by ŦůRbö ۰ Ҏяѻ ۰ on November 13, 2012 at 6:59pm: Co2 will leave water instantly if there is any movment; water flowing from the tap will lose its Co2, if it even had any. If you dont have a Co2 system on your tank, you can put one on and lower the pH, but the second it runs out the pH will shoot back to normal. I personally do not worry about pH unless I'm breeding. One must realize that pH will be determined by the air, substrate & such. I personally have a ton of driftwood and there is not any pH change, the driftwood will soften the water, which has nothing to do with pH

Co2 lowers (temporary) pH in two ways. One; the Co2 dissolves in water, and some of it forms carbonic acid. The formation of acid lowers the pH (but not hardness (GH)). Two; Co2 will help stabilize and hold the pH; due to the fact that it is heavier than air and will linger around the surface making the air harder to get to the water. (Of course, in order for this approach to be practical, a steady source of Co2 is needed to hold the pH in place. As soon as the CO2 is gone, the pH bounces back to its previous value. If you live in a big city, or have ANY pollution in the air this will help determine the pH. RO water has no buffers at all, and will start out as 6.0 but will shoot up to 8.0 (or close to whatever the water is in your area) as soon as the air gets to it. To prove this get two buckets, fill with RO water, cover one air tight, leave the other open. pH test the water the next day. Note the difference.

I believe have to work with what you got. Just acclimate the fish slowly.

Comment by Pat McCormick on November 13, 2012 at 7:04pm: So it would be possible to keep Rams healthy even at such a high PH I'm not trying to breed anything but I also don't want to needlessly kill fish.

Comment by ŦůRbö ۰ Ҏяѻ ۰ on November 13, 2012 at 7:07pm: I have a few papers that I had to write for school on this; if you want to get deeper into pH GH Co2 and such. Biology502 is crazy fun.