water pH

[puntific]

OK... My water, after aging, has a pH of 7.6. My fish tank has a pH of 6.4. How can this be? I'm changing out about 30-40% daily. I've got 17 - 4 inch fish in a 60 gal tank. Overcrowded? NH3 is reading 1 but I think it's because I added more prime than usual. NO2 is zero, NO3 is 10.

What are the signs of an overcrowded tank? The fish huddle together in a 1 foot cube area when they are startled. Otherwise, they spread out happily (it appears) all over the tank. The come to the front of the tank when they haven't been fed for a couple of hours and I walk into the room.

Can Prime throw off the pH?

What else is there?

puntific

[Eddie]

You have low kh. Add something to help buffer your ph. I use seachem reef builder. Very small amount and won't hike up your ph.


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[puntific]

Thanks Eddie, are you as worried as I am about the ammonia level?

[Eddie]

Well right now, you are measuring ammonium as your ph is below 7-7.2. Totally harmless.

Do you have chloramines on your water?


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[puntific]

My city water does have chloramines in the water. I dose Prime per the bottle's instructions for "normal" water.

Also, I've just measured my GH and KH. GH might be 2 but maybe just 1. KH is 1.

So I should add buffer as I age my water?

puntific

[Eddie]

My city water does have chloramines in the water. I dose Prime per the bottle's instructions for "normal" water.

Also, I've just measured my GH and KH. GH might be 2 but maybe just 1. KH is 1.

So I should add buffer as I age my water?

puntific

Yes, I knew your kh would be low.

So long as you use prime (safe is even better) you are good to go. You are measuring ammonium and your bio filtration will handle it. This is all assuming your filter is cycled.


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[puntific]

My assumption is that it is cycled, as I have zero N02 and 10 NO3 they've been on the system 6 weeks and some had precycled. Safe assumption?

Really appreciate your input here Eddie.

puntific

[Eddie]

My assumption is that it is cycled, as I have zero N02 and 10 NO3 they've been on the system 6 weeks and some had precycled. Safe assumption?

Really appreciate your input here Eddie.

puntific

Yup, excellent assumption. You are good to go.


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[puntific]

So I'm still struggling with pH swings. My aquarium is between 6.4-6.0. I've got 10 4" fish in a 50 gal tank. I'm changing out at least 50% of the water each day and was thinking about moving up to 80% (spaced out over 2-3 times a I vacuum up waste). I'm adding Reef Builder to my new water, 3/8 t. per 50 gal which results in water that has a pH around 6.8-7.2 and a dKh of between 1 and 2. The color change occures at 2, but you can't tell if that means 1.2 or 1.8! I guess I'm worried that I add water to my tank that is pH 7 when the fish water is pH 6.0. When I'm done adding water, the pH of my tank is 6.4. It seems like a lot of stress.

I've thought about increasing my total water volume by linking two fish tanks together. One is 50 gal long and the other is a 60 gal; it's almost like a cube not not quite. It seems that more total water would lessen the swings. I could also put half the fish in the other tank and not have them linked, but then I don't really have greater stability, I have less push. I've already got them linked so that isn't an issue.

I've also thought about using Seachem's Neutral Regulator to set the pH solidly at 7.0 or using that with the Acid Regulator to target 6.5. But then it looks like I have to add Trace elements too and I don't want to build in so many additives due to the cost and the fact that I am just flushing the water out the next day!

Grr.....

puntific

[Discus Origins]

I wouldn't worry about a 0.4 ph swing....that's nothing in the grand scheme of things. Fish can handle up to a 1.5 ph swing with no ill effects IME. Going up is usually not a big of a problem as going down in ph. Also, why are you adding trace elements, are you using RO water?

[puntific]

Thanks for replying Mark.

I'm not adding trace elements now, but Seachem says that if I use Neutral Regulator, then I need to use Trace Elements too... Of course, they are the ones selling it...

puntific

ps. I'm not using RO. I have very soft water and I add reef builder to raise the KH to between 1 and 2.

[Eddie]

If you are doing frequent changes, its not that bad. If you are not doing them frequently, add RB until your KH is about 3-4. ;)