PH levels rising dramatically in tank - HELP!

[smibula]

The PH of my well water is about 6.6. I have a 10g freshwater tank which I just completed cycling a few days ago. Did about a 75% water change and added 6 fish to the tank (3 tetras, 3 danios). 36 hours later only 1 tetra is alive.

Ammonia level is 0, Nitrites 0 and Nitrates around 20 which is the same as my well water. But, this morning the PH was about 7.6!!! How does PH change in the tank by that much so fast? I've done a 20% water change and PH is back down to about 7.0, but I don't know how to keep PH down. I only have 1 plastic plant, gravel, and a small decoration purchased at the fish store.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! I'm about to give up altogether.

Thanks!

[msjinkzd]

What kind of gravel did you use? Have you tested your tap water after it has been left in a container overnight?

[imber]

My ph goes from 7.8 out of the tap to 8.4 in the tank so I leave it aerating in a plastic tub overnight. I would think that as long as you reach a point where it stabilizes through aging and there's nothing in the tank that's making it fluctuate then you should be able to manage it. The hard part is figuring out what works for you.

[catfish69hunter]

i had the same problem with my well water and i ran mine through a Brita filter like the ones you put on you sink then i started from the ground up and that allowed me to get a better control over it but i know it takes all the needed extras out to and makes the water very soft so you can comp by adding a little baking soda i used 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons makes it a lil harder. it helped stablize mine

[Bobnova]

Let a cup of well water sit overnight and then test it's PH.
It may only be 6.6 because of dissolved co2.

[smibula]

Okay, so if I let it sit overnight and find the PH is, say 7.6, I should use a PH down to get it to about 7.0, yes? I'm probably going to lose my last tetra til I get this right, but do you think there's a way to keep him alive while I get the PH right? PH in tank right now is about 7.2, but I'm thinking the PH will only get higher as the water I added this morning oxygenates. The last time I started using the PH buffer I lost all the fish.

[msjinkzd]

I would not use a ph altering chemical. Next time you get fish, do a very slow acclimation and they should be fine with the ph you have. I keep tetras in a ph of 7.8 with no issues.

[crazycanuck]

my PH is around 6.8 and goes to 7 even when i add my dechlorinator.. tetra aqua safe :)

[smibula]

Msjinkzd: How do you do your acclimation? I would love to not have to mess around with a PH buffer every time I change water!

LFS guy said I should get a 5 gallon tank and let it sit. Test PH every day for 3 days and find out where it settles. Then, slowly bring PH down in tank to around 7.0 and adjust tap water in the 5 gallon tank as well and always keep some water in the bucket for water changes. But, if I can avoid this whole process that would be great.

Thanks everyone for your help!

[msjinkzd]

if you were to mess with the ph, the seperate holding container idea is a good one, that way you can consistently control the ph in the tank. I would use peat as opposed to chemicals though if you go that route.


As for acclimation, I will add the fish to a holding container and add 1/4C of water every fifteen minutes or so until the volume has about quadrupled. Then I pour them into a net and add to the tank. You could also do a drip acclimation. I also always quarantine for a month of health before adding to my main tanks, this way I can make sure all the fish are good and healthy.

[Mgamer20o0]

your ph is fine. messing with it will just cause more problems then good.

[tanker]

What kind of gravel do you have??

[jpappy789]

Higher pH levels are completely safe for regular community aquariums. I keep mine at 8.0, which is what my tap is at. The same goes for the other end of the spectrum.

[smibula]

Okay, well I got 3 more tetras yesterday and spent EIGHT hours acclimating them to the new PH level of about 7.4. All three are now dead. Ammonia and Nitrites are still 0. I am about to give up after 3 months of fishless cycling and $200 for fish/supplies. I'm so flipping frustrated. My only thought now is to try to lower PH in the tank to about 6.8 over the next week and try again. My problem now is whether or not 1 tetra will be enough to keep the bacteria alive.

[Beowulff83]

I don't think the ph is killing your fish there has to be something else. A PH change will kill, but if it was a constant ph and didnt change when and after you added fish then this wouldnt be an issue. And are you talking about neon tetra's? because they are a weaker species of tetra. Well water is also known to store gases besides just co2 that could be harmful.

[tanker]

I don't think the ph is killing your fish there has to be something else. A PH change will kill, but if it was a constant ph and didnt change when and after you added fish then this wouldnt be an issue. And are you talking about neon tetra's? because they are a weaker species of tetra. Well water is also known to store gases besides just co2 that could be harmful.


I agree with the above, --where are you located?? Can someone local test your water??

[smibula]

We've had our water tested. Nothing was out of range for human consumption. We did have a higher radon rating in the water, but would that kill fish? We are in MA. 1 tetra has survived - he's a hardy little fellow, but I'm afraid that one little tetra won't be enough to keep the bacteria alive in the tank and I don't want to get any more. I also had zebra danios and they died as well. They're supposed to be hardier right?

[Rbishop]

What specific test kit are you using?

[Beowulff83]

For the most part for municipal water, if you can drink it it will be fine for your fish. This is not always the case for well water. There can be alot of contaminants in the water and at low doses will not harm you but could be deadly for an animal kept in it. You only have to drink the water every so ofton and bathe in it. For fish they live eat and breath it. Here is a good site that will show you contaminants in water, its mostly about human consumption but it will give you an idea.

http://www.buildingbiology.com.au/water.htm

[smibula]

Beowulff - thanks for the info/link. I still have one cardinal tetra alive. It seems like if it was a contaminant it would have killed it too, but I agree that something is taking the fish down. What I don't know is how to figure it out. I suppose we could have a water tested again, but without knowing what is lethal for fish it won't do me any good. My only thought at this point is to let the water aerate for another week while I bring the PH down to about 6.6 and get a couple more fish and try again. If that doesn't work, I'm probably stuck with having to find a different water source and I don't think I'm up for that challenge. thanks for the help.

[nh5]

what kind of decoration do you have in your tank? is it a type of reef rock or anything from the ocean? if so that would be whats raising your ph.

[Beowulff83]

You could check your ph if you put water in a 5 gal bucket with an airstone in it and see how long it takes to stableize, it might only take over night. Also if you have extra $$ you could invest in a RO/DI unit. But i would check into other things first.