A quick pH question

[SharkaThon]

So I have a biUbe running right now, and everything besides the pH is fine. The pH reads at being around a 7.8, and I have 4 whiteclouds in there right now. I'm only worried because I want to add more fish, but I feel like the pH is too high.

If it helps, I've worked at a pool for the last 5 years, so a 7.8 pH is kind of a bad sign to me.

 

[ianab]

Dont mess with it.

Ph range for White Clouds is 6 to 8, so it's fine for them

If you start messing with it you will be chasing after an unstable pH and adding chemicals for the rest of your life. And have a good chance of killing your fish.

pH is one of the less important things to monitor in your tank, especially with hardy fish like White Clouds.

Ian

 

[KarlTh]

pH range for nearly all of our fish is around 5.5 to 8.5. It's far less important than people think. Unstable pHs don't do any harm either, despite persistent myths.

 

[SharkaThon]

Sweet. Thanks guys!

 

[itsanobsession]

im guessing its a small tank. one option you have is to mix in alittle distilled water when you do a water change. since the tank is small its not that big of deal to get one gallon of distilled water every week for when u do a water change.

 

[DoctaQ]

well that sounds like lowering the kh, which is the buffering capacity of your water, which is generally a bad idea

however if you wanted to do that you could just as easily use acid buffer by seachem to do the same thing for a lot cheaper/less effort

 

[KarlTh]

Eeek! Using those buffers is generally a bad idea; you're adding God alone knows what to the water.

Leave it alone! It's fine! What is this pH obsession?

 

[SharkaThon]

Eeek! Using those buffers is generally a bad idea; you're adding God alone knows what to the water.

Leave it alone! It's fine! What is this pH obsession?

I work at a local pool and I do the chemical testing, and a 7.8 pH is not good for a swimming pool, and I really don't know what a good pH level is for a 9 gallon tank.

 

[KarlTh]

Unless you're planning to swim in the tank, desired swimming pool pH isn't really relevant. Ask yourself why a 7.8 pH is bad in a swimming pool and ask if that's relevant to a fish tank.

A good pH level for an aquarium is anything between 6 and 8.5. Below that and the filter bacteria start to be inhibited; above that ammonia toxicity becomes a real danger.

 

[ianab]

The pH for a 9 gallon tank is not the issue. It's having a pH thats suitable for the type of fish you have.

White Clouds will be 100% happy with a pH between 6 and 8, so keep life simple and dont mess with it.

Ian