BW and pH

[Roan Art]

For the most part I've read that BW need the pH raised to marine level, 8.2, but that doesn't make sense to me.

Wouldn't the water in a low-end brackish environment be more around 7.8 pH, and increase accordingly as you move toward the ocean?

Or would the fresh being fed into the brackish have a similar pH as the brackish water?

Roan

 

[reiverix]

Since brackish water covers such a wide range of possible parameters (pH, KH, salinity, etc) it's not easy to try and come up with the perfect range for any given species.

My own tank runs at a pH of 8.1 with an SG of 1.006, and an aragonite substrate. However my pH test has a different card for FW/SW so I have to make an 'educated' guess. But as long as these remain stable, I'm quite happy with the readings.

 

[RTR]

Much the same for me, but I always use OE-RFUG with aragonite for light BW. I have a suspicion that the alkalinity is of equal or greater import to the fish (puffers at least) as the salinity when the density is low.

 

[justintoxicated]

How do you guys keep such a high PH?

I have removed all charcoal from my filter and replaced with crushed coral, as well as filling all other areas in the filter with crushed coral and the highest PH I can get is 7.0 in my freshwater tank.

Does adding salt increase the PH?

 

[Roan Art]

Much the same for me, but I always use OE-RFUG with aragonite for light BW. I have a suspicion that the alkalinity is of equal or greater import to the fish (puffers at least) as the salinity when the density is low.

Interesting. What lead you to that, if you don't mind my asking?

Roan

 

[Roan Art]

How do you guys keep such a high PH?

I have removed all charcoal from my filter and replaced with crushed coral, as well as filling all other areas in the filter with crushed coral and the highest PH I can get is 7.0 in my freshwater tank.

Does adding salt increase the PH?

Yes, marine salt will increase the pH of the water. Here:

My tap water is 7.4 pH, 2 dKH, 5 dGH

When I add in marine salt to SG 1.003, I get:

7.8 pH, 3 dKH, 21 dGH

When I add crushed coral/aragonite I get a pH of around 8.2

Love that hardness number, eh? And that's on the low end of the brackish scale.

Roan

 

[justintoxicated]

Thanks I think I really need to find this aragonite stuff crushed coral is not doing enough alone no matter how much I add,

I used different amounts in 3 of my tanks and the PH in all of them is almost exactly 7.0.

I think my fish would be happier with a PH of about 7.4 which is closer to my tap water anyways. I was starting to think it would be near impossible for me to make a brackish tank in the future.

 

[Roan Art]

Thanks I think I really need to find this aragonite stuff crushed coral is not doing enough alone no matter how much I add

It can take a couple of weeks for an increase if the pH is already 7 or over.

I used different amounts in 3 of my tanks and the PH in all of them is almost exactly 7.0.

I think my fish would be happier with a PH of about 7.4 which is closer to my tap water anyways. I was starting to think it would be near impossible for me to make a brackish tank in the future.

Why is your tank water so far in pH from your source water?

Roan

 

[justintoxicated]

It can take a couple of weeks for an increase if the pH is already 7 or over.


Why is your tank water so far in pH from your source water?

Roan

I don't know! I have a GH KH test kit but that only confirms that it is low, I guess I need to test the tap water for these things. However all my tanks are planted...

I'm guessing it is so off from a small piece of driftwood and Co2 DIY, I get bubbles ever 2 seconds with this fast acting yeast, but it only lasts for about 2 weeks instead of a month...

Then again the PH drops in ALL my tanks and I only have DIY C02 in one of them...Does flourish excel reduce PH?

I have a TON of crushed coral in my main tank, one of my apple snails is suffering badly Fissures, so I'm trying to get it above 7.

I want to get a puffer fish I really really want one lol I don't know why but I do. Must find a way!

 

[RTR]

First you need to check the pH/KH of the tap water after 24 hours aging in a shallow bowl. Direct from the tap pH tests are rarely accurate measures of what the pH will be when equilibrated for temp amd atmospheric pressure.

If your pH in the tanks is still significantly lower than the tap, confirm the KH of both. If the KH is being used up in the tanks and not replenished in the tanks you need to consider invreasing the size and/or frequency of your water partials.

RA - I found that when I kept F-8s over RFUG w/aragonite they did almost as well as with as with both aragonite and specific gravity ~1.005. There were differences favoring the marine mix (longer life, better health), but smaller than I would have imagined. Those in tap w/RFUG w/inert gravel were much shorter lived and had many more issues. Made me wonder, but I have never done follow-up studies with other fish. More than 15 years with 10->15 tanks of the same fish was quite enough for me. I proved what I wanted to know (that they really are or should be BW, and that they are long-lived).