FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Lower the PH in tanks?
some of my fish have been dying, tested the water it's not nitrites/nitrates or ammonia.. ph was too high.
so how would I be able to lower it?
I won't be able to come online for a few days, so please excuse my absence.
Thanks in advance.
R_Boy1

What was the pH, and what is it normally?

Even in areas where pH is "too high", fish have normally adjusted to the same type of water when they are at the fish store.

That said, if there is a cause of the pH rise, such as if you have added crushed coral, limestone, coral or aragonite sand, or anything else with carbonates or bicarbonates that raise the hardness, than it should be removed. Peat can be used to lower pH of water, as can certain pH down chemicals at the pet store, which are basically bottles of acid. But if there is a reason your pH keeps climbing (as in the water doesn't come out that pH from out the tap), there should be some reason why.

--------------------------------------------
The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

I use Seachem Acid Buffer. My tap water is 8.0. I also tested water from a couple LFS to be around 7.8. It took some time but I've figured out how much Acid Buffer to use with my tap water conditions. I've placed marks on my tanks to ensure accruate WCs. I keep my 75 at 7.2 and my 29 at 7.8 to quarantine new fish.

Be sure to follow the directions if you try chemicals. Adjust the pH slowly.

Like shini said peat in the filter is a good way. i prefer not to have chemicals in my tank but i hear ph down works as well. Some Driftwood can lower the ph abit. adjusting the ph slowly is also very important.big ph swings will kill fish. And i know im just repeating this but if its something that youve put in the water then you have to take it out asap. best of luck!

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

The high ph can be caused by basically two things your water supply or something in you tank causing it to be high.

Have you tested your water supply? If that is high contact your LFS to see what they are doing to combat the high ph level

I would like to know exactly what is in your tank and that means every thing.

I use a PH buffer every week as my supply can vary from week to week.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

A long term natural way is simply to add lots of DW It will lower the ph but takes about 6 months to a year before you might notice any changes.


mts.gif" border="0"> I vote do you?
My Tanks at Photobucket

Firstly, which species died? How long had you had them? How often do you change water? A high pH would normally only result in deaths if the fish had come from a much lower pH environment and suffered shock at being placed in a high pH tank. Species which have evolved in soft, acidic water will have their lifespans reduced, but this is a long term issue.

There is no point in trying to reduce your pH without knowing your kh. If this is high then it will act as a buffer against whatever method you try.

I'd use a reverse osmosis unit to reduce the kh and cut the end product (which is virtually pure water) with tap water to remineralise it. This will give you a lower kh and pH in the fresh water you're using at each change.

Mature, sensible signature required for responsible position. Good prospects for the right candidate. Apply within.

There are really to ways to lower PH in a tank, these are naturally and chemically.

First, look at your water supply, if it is city water, than ther a good chance it comming from there, depending on how close you are to the water treatment plant your PH will be higher. As they have to add so many things to make that water legally pottable. Second, look in your tank to see if may be you have something, a rock or decoration that maybe causing it.

After you determine what the cuase my be than you can try and fix it. First naturally, you can use CO2 to lower it and maintain it, you can use RO water, either buy a small RO system or see if the LFS sells it. RO and CO2 systems can be costly. If you look into a RO system remember to see if the replacment filters are readly available, and you will need to purchase a RO water additive, as they remove all trace elements. Driftwood will help but its such a slow process that it will not save your fish.

You can use buffers, that will raise or lower you PH. Look for something that not going to require you to add it every day and constantly monitor the PH.

the lastt hign you can do is just go with the flow and get fish that match you PH.

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

The species that died were,
a albino cory, the first cory to die in fact.
countless platies, the fry are affected most.. they just get thinner and thinner as if they're not eating and finally die. the female platies have clamped fins, but I suspect that's more due to the males chasing them too much.

Before, I used to do a partial water change every 6 months, , bad I know, but I don't have time what with school, studying for exams, etc. but now I've been doing partial water changes for quite some time, that's when they started dying.. the PH got higher and higher.

how do you find out what your kh is?
The only things I've got in the tank is a few decorations, a few plants.. the only thing that I can think of is a big white holey stone that I have.. the khuli loaches like to hide out in there. it's either the stone or the water changes.

I've never actually measured my kh but I know my water is hard. Using products like pH reducer only effects my pH temporarily. It's usually back up near 8 within 24 hrs.

The right amount of acid buffer keeps my pH very steady. IMO this is easiest solution if you have hard water. A couple of scoops with each WC and that's it. It isn't expesive either.

1 Kg for $12 will last me over a year changing 30 gal/week at triple strength.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4124&Nty=1&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=All&pc=1&N=0&Ntt=buffer&Np=1

Edit: I purchased a full API test kit which came with a high range pH test. I decided to test my tap today and it is actually closer to 8.6

That doesn't sound like a pH problem to me. That sounds a bit more like parasites. I'm not saying that you don't have a pH issue at all, just that I wouldn't rule out other things at play causing your deaths.

Anyway, lets start with the pH issue.

When you say 'high', what are the actual numbers?
Are you trying to adjust it each water change with the pH Down etc?
What reading do you get from your tap water and what reading do you get from tap water after it has been left to stand for 24hrs?
Are you using a new/in date test kit and is it liquid or strips?

The white stone could well be affecting the water. Did that go in around the time this started? Did you remove anything? What substrate do you have? Black and white rocks in particular need careful attention as they can mess around with things.

Unless it is at or over 8.4 or very unstable, the fish should cope. Anywhere between 6.8 and 8.4 is tolerable for most basic trops IMO, you don't need it bang on 7.2


For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

My pH runs from 8.0-8.2. I did ahve some death problems with Tiger Barbs but I believe I had parasites of some form. I treated for them, and no more wasting away fishies...

So far, I have had Rummynose Tetras, White Cloud Mountain Minnows, Tiger Barbs (all three types), Rainbow Tetras and a GAE all acclimate nicely to my "high" pH water.

The fact that you say the fish tend to waste away before they die, stop eating, all that... It suggests to me that maybe you've got a parasite problem of some form or another.