confused - pH will not go down

Lucky

Lucky

AC Members
Feb 2, 2005
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I add pH down, wait for it to mix, test again, and get the same results. I tried removing the filter cartridge - no change. I played around with the solutions for a little bit, and the pH down is, in fact, acidic, and the indicator does, in fact, indicate pH just fine - I have test strips and liquid indicator. The liquid indicator's range goes up to 7.6 and always gives that reading, test strips go up to 8.4 - when I use the test strips I get a reading between 7.8 and 8.4

Tank water:
Hardness (GH) - ~75 ppm
Tot. Alkalinity (KH) - ~300 ppm
pH - ~8.4

Source water:
GH - ~0
KH - ~300
pH - ~8.4

Tank water is slightly harder because I added ~6000 ml of water from the container I transferred the fish with. Unfortunately, that seems to be the only parameter it altered.

The fish I have are accoustomed to a range of 6.8-7.2
4 neon tetras
3 zebra danios

The fish have not been fully exposed to the new water yet - they are in plastic bags with their old tank water and a needle-made hole. They've been in there long enough for the temperature to have balanced, but I don't know how much longer they can stand to stay in them - the zebras are beginning to nip each other and the tetras are starting to gasp. I don't want to throw them into a sudden difference of pH, but they can't stay where they are forever, either. :help:
 
test srips aren't very accurate.
 
I am also using a liquid pH test solution and I am getting similar results between the two. I don't have anything else to test with.
 
new waters pH will often change a little after "aging".
 
are these new fish? did you just get them or upgrade to a bigger tank?
 
i would add small amounts of new water to the bags they are in (or put them in a different container) every 15 minutes until the total volume has been tripled, then put them in the new tank.
 
msjinkzd said:
i would add small amounts of new water to the bags they are in (or put them in a different container) every 15 minutes until the total volume has been tripled, then put them in the new tank.
Click to expand...

That's about what I did. They are currently all swimming and schooling nicely, and the tetras' 'gasping' rate has gone down considerably, although their mouths are still pumping more than I'd like. I'll keep working on them.
Thanks!
 
chemical pH changers are not the best way to change the pH. they tend to make the pH fluctuate frequently, which is stressful for the fish. the fish will be better in the stable pH of your tap.

you can also add some driftwood to the tank to help lower the pH.
 
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