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Thread: PH on a decline

  1. #31
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    Default Re: PH on a decline

    I've got a very similar problem, I've just upped my pairs tanks from two to four and the problem only affects one of the existing tanks. The fish were looking a little off so I checked the PH and it was 4.5 A quick 50% water change and it was up to 6.2, 3 hours later they spawned.

    This morning when I went in they'd eaten the eggs, I should have twigged then that there was something wrong as this pair NEVER eat the eggs even when they're infertile. Tonight they were going dark so I checked the PH again and it was 4.7 I did a 70% change and it came up to 6.3. The only things in the bloody tank are the fish, a breeding cone, a heater, a sponge filter and the water!!!

    The other three set ups, using the same aged water all hold steady at about 6.5 - 6.7 simply by syphoning off the waste daily and refilling, maybe a 15% change. My aged water is 6.7 at 60ppm hardness (don't know the KH).

    I swapped the filter out tonight from one of those free standing, base weighted ones to a hang on dual sponge from another tank to see if that makes a difference. Other than this I'm at a total loss as to why only one tank out of the four has the problem.

  2. #32
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    Don Speers

    Default Re: PH on a decline

    Quote Originally Posted by Mando View Post
    So how would I address low GH and KH? They are both extremely low.
    What I would do is add Ca Carbonate until I met target GH target, then add additional baking soda till I met KH target. KH will drop over time at a rate dependent on the amount of acid being produced, i.e. nitrate in water is nitric acid and phosphate in water is phosphoric acid. KH drops as carbonate plus 1 Hydrogen ion from an acid makes bicarb and bicarb plus 1 H ion makes water and CO2 which exits the system. The elimination of the H+ is the buffering effect.

    If you find yourself having to continue to add bicarb to maintain KH you still have a source of excessive acid production, if you are not sure you can track with a TDS meter, which does not actually measure TDS but all ionically active dissolved molecules and then estimates TDS. The obvious next question is how much is too much. Given how soft your water is I assume you are starting low, and stability is more important than absolute number. I would check your TDS AFTER your have fixed GH and KH and then if you are having to add additional NA bicarb (your GH should not go down) then check your TDS and probably opt for new water over more bicarb at 2x starting TDS value, but I have no good data to support that opinion. Curious about other folks thoughts. Hopefully this last is pure speculation and fixing KH fixes problem.

  3. #33
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    Don Speers

    Default Re: PH on a decline

    Kev, you have successfully defined a seemingly impossible situation, 4 identical tanks, 3 with one good outcome, one with an unstable bad outcome. Reminds me of one of my favorite quotes "When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." —Sherlock Holmes.

    You already changed the filter, next move the cone, then move the heater, then the fish. If the problem remains in the tank regardless of all of the changes, close it down, clean it thoroughly, sterilize it. (I like H2O2). Retry the tank, if the Ph drops again, either kill the tank or give it to someone you really don't like. If the Ph follows the fish and they are otherwise healthy, good luck, nothing constructive to contribute if that is the outcome.

  4. #34
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    Default Re: PH on a decline

    Hi Don, I know, very weird situation, however after swapping out the filter and replacing it with a mature dual sponge hang on type one the PH hasn't budged from 6.6 (at 60ppm hardness) over the last two days, so it was definitely the sponge filter causing the problem. I've moved the offending filter to a grow out tank where the water is 350ppm so it won't cause any more issues.

    I've no idea why it should suddenly have caused an issue but all good now

  5. #35
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    Don Speers

    Default Re: PH on a decline

    Glad things worked out and you IDed the problem, though why that particular filter is an acid pump is beyond me.

  6. #36
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    Armando

    Default Re: PH on a decline

    My fish are fully on well water now. I did what Brian and Pat suggested and removed the membrane from my ro system and running the water through 2x5micron and 1x carbon filter.

    Ph is super stable already. Sorry I went the easy route and I did not fix the originally problem so this post will be useless for future searches.

  7. #37
    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Pat

    Default Re: PH on a decline

    Good to hear things are working out for you Armando
    Pat
    Your discus are talking to you....are you listening


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