3 different pH readings

JinxXx0085

JinxXx0085

AC Members
Jun 12, 2005
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Montana
Hello guys :hi: ,
I have some questions about pH, I tested 3 different sources. :shark: The test kits I used was Aqua. Phar. (liquid kind).

Tap water: 7.2
Tank water: 7.6 on normal range kit; 7.4 on high range pH kit
Bucket with driftwood: looks like between 7.0 and 6.8... 6.9?

The bucket with driftwood have been sitting out for a week now. I wanted to soak the driftwood so I can add it to my tank. Currently I don't have any driftwood in my tank at all.

So, from those readings... what causes those pH readings to differs? Espically between the tank and tap water?

I suppose that driftwood is what lowered pH, will it keep on lowering pH or will it stabilize at some point?

:dive2:
 
Thats a bit weird. Maybe there's some sort of C02 buffer in the tap water. So when it comes out of the tap its low, and after it gasses off its higher. Try leaving a glass of tap water out for 24 hours and test that.

Driftwood will lower pH to a point. I would leave it in there a while longer and see where it stops.
 
The tap water could have dissolved CO2, which would lower pH. As it gassed off and found equilibrium with the atmospheric air, pH could rise. Or, if your maintenance isn't sufficient, the acidification from oxidizing ammonia and nitrite could cause pH to drop in the tank. (This could happen especially if your water has little bufferering, or KH - carbonate hardness, making it particularly prone to pH swings.

The driftwood will release a lot of tannic acid initially, which will cause pH to drop - sometimes substantially. You can counter this by changing small amounts of water frequently to keep the pH more or less constant. (Again, if KH is low, the effect of the driftwood will be more pronounced.) This should only go on for a month or two, at the most, then the leaching will slow considerably.

Good luck,
Jim
 
JSchmidt said:
The tap water could have dissolved CO2, which would lower pH. As it gassed off and found equilibrium with the atmospheric air, pH could rise. Or, if your maintenance isn't sufficient, the acidification from oxidizing ammonia and nitrite could cause pH to drop in the tank. (This could happen especially if your water has little bufferering, or KH - carbonate hardness, making it particularly prone to pH swings.
Click to expand...
My water defintely is hard. Im not sure how its effects are on my tank.
As for trying to gas out the tap water, I just filled tap water in 1 gallon jug today. I'll test that tomorrow night or so and see if it has pH of 7.4 on high range test kit.
As well I'll change the water in bucket that has driftwood. I want it to duke it's pH swings out before I put it in the tank :o Hopefully that it will help.
I'll be sure to post info when I test the tap water in 2 days so this info might be useful for other people? :dance:

I just did a water change today after I posted this thread and decided to test pH... umm its not 7.6 on normal range anymore which would be 7.4 on high range kit... it currently reads as 7.2. I only did approximately 10% water change. I suppose the tap water do have buffer which will gas off... that I'll find out tomorrow night. Anyhoo... Will this have any effect on my fish? :dive2:
 
So.... I've took pH readings again.

Tank: Looks like more than 7.2, tried the high range stuff... it read nearly 7.8. I'm confused! Which one do I trust? normal range or high range? pH defintely don't look like 7.6 on the normal range reading, its not that BLUE like it is on the card...

Tap water: 7.2 although it looks tad bit darker than 7.2, gonna try high range stuff on this one too... 7.4 on high range stuff. I can say pH is 7.3 for this one :joke:

Driftwood water: 7.0 ... no major change :dance: That's good enough for me! Now I'll actually change the water in that bucket and see what happens to pH again. Oh speaking of that... do you decholorine the water for soaking wood? :confused:

Ain't there a pH tester that I don't have to use both normal and high range? This is kind of pain in the butt to check both to be really sure.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
 
Nah, I'm not that worried and getting it tested a LFS, ha ha, they use the same test kits I do. I'm just curious what causes those changes?? Where did it come from??
I know it have something to do with acids [H] and bases [OH]
I guess I just want to know little detail :D
Maybe I should just retake chemistry for a refresher (ACK!!) although I'll be
having organic chemistry this fall. :eek:
 
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