Good PH level?

Renay89

Renay89

AC Members
Jun 23, 2008
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Quebec, Canada
I'm not sure what level the PH should be at in my tank. Its a 25 gallon that will eventually be home to some livebearers and a school of penguin tetras. I bought a 3-in-1 6.5 ph water conditioner, its supposed to buffer the ph to 6.5, neutralize ammonia, and eliminate chlorine and chloramines. According to the test kit that I got, my ph levels are at about 7.6 and maybe even higher...and hasn't changed since i put in the water conditioner last night... Am I doing something wrong? From my understanding livebearers need a ph level of about 7.0, but still the levels in my tank are too high.
 
I wouldn't try to change your PH, it is more important for the fish to have a stable PH. If you purchase the fish locally then they should be used to the higher PH of your area.
 
if your tap is at 7.6....you are fine. Fish appreciate a stable pH vice a varing one.

Is your test kit a liquid one?

Did your tap sample sit out overnight in a shallow dish?
 
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As far as the conditioner saying it makes your ph 6.5, your water is buffering against that, that is why it isnt changing. The ph you have is fine.. I suggest you get a plain water conditioner, such as prime or aquasafe that way unneeded chemicals arent being added to your tank. If you really want to lower your ph, you can do so using natural methods, such as peat moss or putting driftwood in your tank.
 
95% of aquarium fish are fine anywhere between 5.5 and 8.5. They really don't care very much about pH at all.
 
Agreed, fluctuating pH is far more dangerous than a stable one out of the 'recommended' range for a given species. Fish adapt well.
I agree with Blueiz, natural (slow) changes are best. Use peat in the filter to lower pH, crushed coral to raise it. Otherwise, just leave it alone. Don't waste your money on bottled preparations.
 
Slappy*McFish said:
Agreed, fluctuating pH is far more dangerous than a stable one out of the 'recommended' range for a given species. Fish adapt well.
I agree with Blueiz, natural (slow) changes are best. Use peat in the filter to lower pH, crushed coral to raise it. Otherwise, just leave it alone. Don't waste your money on bottled preparations.
Click to expand...

This is right, but what you're really changing which the fish notice is the total dissolved solids (TDS) - peat reduces TDS (as I understand it) by binding with dissolved minerals to form insoluble complexes; crushed coral dissolves calcium carbonate (as bicarbonate) into the water, raising TDS. The associated pH changes are pretty much incidental.
 
If you buy your fish from a LFS and it has been there any length of time it has likely acclimated to the local water (sans chlorine/chloramine) and a ph adjustment isn't likely to be needed in most cases. This is not always true and a big box FS likely has a high turnover of fish and many have not been acclimated. So if you make a purchase look for fish that have been there approx 2 weeks in any store.
 
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