is a 0.2 pH drop significant?

[undrwtr]

I've been out of the fish hobby for a few years and have yet to keep fish in the new house I moved to a few years ago. I tested the pH straight out the tap and then after a day of it being stored with aeration it dropped 0.2. Also my tank has been cycling for a week and half and the amonia is currently spiking. The pH in the tank still has only dropped 0.2 compared to right out the tap. I haven't picked up anything to test for hardness though. Is that a significant drop to where I would need to age my water for water changes or is it stable enough to add water straight from the tap (with prime of course)?

[Chad Hughes]

Welcome back to the hobby!

Aging water is typically performed in situations where your tap water has a lower pH than that of your aged water. Aging the water allows excess CO2 to gass off, causing hte pH to rise. Tap water with a pH of 6 goes in to an aging barrel and in 24 hours the pH of the water in the barrel is now 7.5. In this case it is necessary to age your water.

I hope that helps you understand the background behind the aging requirement.

Best wishes!

[undrwtr]

Thanks for the warm welcome Chad. So since my pH does rise after aging and in fact it drops slightly I'm guess theres no need for aging my water?

[Chad Hughes]

No problem. Yes, you are correct.

[discuspaul]

.02 rise in pH after ageing/aerating for a day ? No Problem straight out of the tap !

[jimg]

.02 rise in pH after ageing/aerating for a day ? No Problem straight out of the tap !

+1

[Darrell Ward]

Yeah, .02 difference in PH won't really affect fish one way or the other.