Does pH matter for invert tanks?

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boobiebutt

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Jul 5, 2008
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Now it has been debated if pH is important in the aquarium as a factor for life/death of fish and keeping the fish. I believe it is concluded that pH does not play a role in causing stress, pH shock, death of fish because it has been mentioned many times that the pH of a heavily planted aquarium varies throughout a typical day (CO2 injetion/photosynthesis/amount of CO2 content/O2 content/etc) and that fish can adjust to living at a different pH.

My question is, would this matter for inverts? I think inverts like snails and shrimp depend on pH more then fish and must live in a certain pH range. If the water is too acidic, it will dissolve the shells of snails and exoskeletons of shrimp possibly?

I ask because my water is 7.5 out of the tap. Currently in my fishless cycling tank, the pH before the lights go off is 9.0 and the pH before the sun comes up/lights go on is 5.5-6.0. That is a huge pH swing and that worries me. I understand that some of these results can be inaccurate as I'm still fishless cycling at the moment and I haven't done a water change in 1-2 weeks. (Last couple of post from my cycling process thread - http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182952&page=15)

I can be wrong about this entirely, so any insight or information would be useful. Feel free to correct me on anything.
 
I'm sorry for not knowing much else about pH than this, but I have a pH of 6.5 and my snails suffer from severe shell erosion. But I do have very soft water. I have been giving a calcium supplement, but they are still eroding.
 
It's not that they need a higher pH, it's that they need a higher TDS (total dissolved solids) which can be tested using a kh & gh test. They don't 'feel' pH, they feel TDS (the hardness of the water). pH and water hardness are 2 different things.
 
pH matters a lot to snails. Lowering it will simply cause pitting on their shells which is why pH should be maintained no less than 7.4 if you want to keep the shells intact.
 
ksane said:
It's not that they need a higher pH, it's that they need a higher TDS (total dissolved solids) which can be tested using a kh & gh test. They don't 'feel' pH, they feel TDS (the hardness of the water). pH and water hardness are 2 different things.
Click to expand...

How can TDS be tested using a KH & GH test kits?
 
jpappy789 said:
I think if their diet is supplemented with a lot of calcium and they were kept in lower temps it would be fine...but I am not positive.
Click to expand...
Calcium enriched diet alone will not stop the shells from pitting with acidic water.
 
Thanks for all the information. I think I'd have to agree with Lupin on:

Lupin said:
Calcium enriched diet alone will not stop the shells from pitting with acidic water.
Click to expand...

I think regardless of how much calcium and other supplements one to feed their snails/shrimp, the water will still erode the shell/exoskeleton.


Now would similar effects happen to shrimps in similar pH conditions? I don't think shrimps rely on calcium as much as snails but they do molt often. I'm going to try to keep shrimps and snails that why I'm wondering the effects on the shrimps as well. I want to be able to provide a health environment for them.
 
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