pH Too High?

[sledge]

I am setting up a new tank. My tapwater pH tests at 8.0 to 8.2. The KH rings in at 5 dKH. I want to keep swordtails, zebra danios, serpae tetras, corys, and dwarf gouramis. Is this pH too high for these fish? If so what can I do to lower it? I know that pH Down and the like are no good.

I want the fish to be fairly happy in the water and not just getting by, ie showing full color, active etc. I'm really just not sure what to do. CO2 and RO seem complicated and expensive.

Any opinions and ideas would be most appreciated.

[sigmatauntaylor]

All that info should be able to be found on this site in the species profiles

[JesseJ]

I would recommend lowering the water pH to about 7-7.3 and then trying the fish you want. If you don't change the pH then maybe try African Cichlids. they do good in alkaline water.

To lower the pH you can use chemicals (not good) or natural methods (good). Driftwood, Bogwood, and peat (fiber or granular) all will do the job. It won't be an instant change so use a pH tester and wait until it gets to 7.3 before adding the fish.

[JSchmidt]

I disagree that changing the pH (or attempting to) is a good idea. With a KH of 5 degrees, your water has significant buffering capabilities, and any attempts to lower pH except through reverse osmosis are bound to fail. You may be able to lower pH temporarily, but with KH that high you have pretty significant buffering and the acid that lowers pH (whether from a bottle for from peat/bogwood/etc.) will soon be taken up, and pH will rise.

You ought to be able to keep the fish you list in your water. I bet the LFS does...

Stable pH is more important than 'perfect' pH.

HTH,
Jim

[RTR]

I agree w/Jim.

[TKOS]

I keep Gouramis, tetras, cories, platies (same as swordtails) and other fish at a pH of around 7.6. The main problem with a high pH seems to be when attempting to breed fish. That is when TDS and pH become more important.

Just follow the standard slow 2 hour acclimation process (take store water out, add a little bit of tank water) and your fish should do just fine.

With a high buffering capacity your tank will have a stable pH and that is good.

[aquariumfishguy]

I (too) dont think its nessessary that your pH be lowered. Try to stick with fish who like alkaline water, such as livebearers and some of the other fish previously mentioned.

This doesnt limit you to only these fish, because I know many people with a high pH who keep various fish, not already mentioned. (ie Neons, Cories, Angelfish)

[Leopardess]

Mhm, a steady pH is much more important than a "target" pH. A fluctuating pH can be very detrimental, whereas a fish can get used to a "higher" or "lower" pH with some time.

Chances are that the fish you buy are from your immediate area....from an LFS which is likely to have the same (or similar) water source and have been acclimated to the water already (obviously, however, it is still important to follow the acclimation process as TKOS said).

Most "target" pH values that you find on species profiles are the pH values that the fish are living in in the wild...but most fish you purchase are bound to be captive bred fish.

Specific pH comes into play when trying to get certain species to breed (and even then, it can be questionable).