Preferred pH for Angels?

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kcail1

Animal Enthusiast
Jan 7, 2012
37
0
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Louisville Ky
I've done some brief reading on the preferred pH of angels. KY has notoriously hard water (calcium carbonate from the limestone bedrock) and my tank is at 7.6 right now after I performed a WC and some deep gravel vacuuming. I have added water conditioners which contain buffers. I tested my parameters with API and they are all really low (Nitrates/ites, phosphate, Ammonia).

What acid can I safely add to lower the pH? With buffers I don't want to shock the tank... or should I bother? These are locally bred/raised fish who are "used to" KY hard water.

Thanks
 

Ray1981

AC Members
Mar 24, 2012
128
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Mercedes Texas
If the fish your getting are breed and raised in KY water you don't have to do anything. They are already used to the water.

Sent from my HTC Glacier using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 

stephcps

AC Members
Jun 2, 2009
2,209
2
38
It is more important to have a stable ph. The more you use additives, the more difficult that becomes.
you only need worry, really if you are getting wild fish.
 

kcail1

Animal Enthusiast
Jan 7, 2012
37
0
0
Louisville Ky
Thanks for the replies.... My LFS tested my water and said the ph was a bit high and I retested at home. It's the same. I've been combating a hazy tank (not cloudy, just a light white haze) in my tank for a week or two. The LFS said to add a flocculant to the tank to clear the water. The tank is cycled, one year old and I only feed sparingly once a day. It's hazed before, but it was a greenish haze, an algicide took care of that and I reduced my lights.

So... I am trying to fix the unexplained white haze now.

Thanks.
 

stephcps

AC Members
Jun 2, 2009
2,209
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What kind of filtration are you running? What kind of media?
also keep in mind as nice and knowledgeable as they may seem, your LFS would like nothing more than to sell you a bunch of stuff for your tank. You will find numerous threads on this I forum saying the same thing.....stable is most important.

I don't think the 2 things are related.....
 
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kcail1

Animal Enthusiast
Jan 7, 2012
37
0
0
Louisville Ky
I have the carbon/blue filter media inserts that come with the Penguin Whisper 150 (30 Gal) Good point on the LFS... My common sense and ($) rein my purchasing of chemicals etc. in. Still hazy.... could it be a second bacterial bloom?
 

stephcps

AC Members
Jun 2, 2009
2,209
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Try some carbon temporarily or filter floss to polish. I have had that issue off and on....
You can either add or use in place of the inserts.....some filter floss. You can get the sheets and wrap it around.....it gives a fine polishing which is what you need.
 
Last edited:
Apr 2, 2002
3,532
640
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New York
Baterial blooms are the heterotrophic bacteria which can reproduce rapidly, unlike the nitrifiers. They eat organics, so you probably have a problem on this front.

Try a massive water change and then do not feed the tank for a day or two, the fish will be fine.

What sort of regular maint. do you do and how often?

Best polishing would come from a Magnum (I use the HOT Magnums) with the micron cartridge or elsea vortex diatom filter (not needed for most). You can even add a couple of tablespoons of diatomacious earth to a Magnum and really polish your water. The floss is the next best solution but wont work nearly as well for clearing the water.
 
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