Ph too high - need help!

A

akg

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Mar 29, 2009
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Hi --

I can't figure out what is causing the Ph level in my tank (10 gallons) to be so high. I know my well water has a high Ph, which is why I use almost all bottled water when I do an exchange. The bottled water is neutral - I've tested it. I would have thought that after using so much bottled water week after week, that at this point, there is very little well water in there and the Ph should therefore be close to neutral, but it stubbornly remains at 7.5. I have put a Ph lowering agent in there, the level comes down temporarily, but the next day it's back up. I can't keep guppies - they keep dying - and I've recently lost 2 tetras. What is my problem?? Any comments or suggestions would be truly appreciated!

-akg
 
I would not use the PH down chemical. It just causes temporary swings and stresses the fish.
Do you know the gh and kh of your water? A high kh could keep the ph from dropping even after mixing in much RO water. 7.5 Ph is nothing to worry about by the way. My Ph is 7.8 and that is after mixing in 50% RO to my tap.
If you keep on just adding RO water your Ph should eventualy drop to 7 but the lack of minerals in the water could be detrimental to the fish. I would test the water and work out some mixture of RO and well water so as to keep the parameters steady.
Ph is going to be somewhere over 7 unless you add lots of peat. And that can be a tricky undertaking.
 
7.5 isn't high. The ph of your water won't pose a problem for any of the commonly available fishes. What is the gH or kH of your water? water change schedule?, how long did you have the fish? how long has the tank been set up? were there any specific symptoms before the fish died? Do you test for nitrates? How many fish are in the tank? Chemicals for adjusting pH are a bad idea and can be a source of deaths.
 
gmh said:
I would not use the PH down chemical. It just causes temporary swings and stresses the fish.
Click to expand...

+1

The LFS talked me into that high ph you need ph down crap and after a month long battle w my ph going up and waaaay down and back up and down I gave up and tossed the bottle. I lost too many fish trying to "fix" the high ph of my tap water.
 
7.5 isn't really high. Its more important for your fish to have a constant and stable pH rather then a "correct" pH (there really isn't such a thing as a correct pH). Fish, when acclimated correctly, will adjust to just about any pH. So long as your pH isn't swinging widely on its own, I suggest leaving it alone.

If you fish keep dying I suspect something else is at play. Like canuck asked, how long has your tank been set up? How many fish do you have? Tell us about how you do water changes and tank maintenance. What are your water parameters? Ammonia? Nitrites? Nitrates? Do you quarantine any new fish? Knowing these things will help us figure out whats killing your fish.
 
Thanks for the comments. The tank has been set up since July '08. We originally had goldfish, but switched to freshwater tropical fish in Sept. Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates - all zero. The gH is around 30 and the kH is around 40 (ppm). I know the fish need some minerals which is why I put some well water in when I exchange - which I do weekly, 40-50% exchange.
Regarding the fish themselves - the guppies looked bad before they died - couldn't swim properly, or they were just hanging around the bottom. I had 2 which lasted for a couple of months before they died, and since that time I can't keep them for more than a few days, so for now, no more guppies. The tetras showed no symptoms (that I could see) before they died. One of the tetras that died (sometime today, as a matter of fact - my kids are going to be so upset when they get home from school!) we had since Sept. when we changed over to tropical fish - so this was completely unexpected. The other was relatively new - one of two black neons we got 2 weeks ago. It seemed OK one day, but it was dead the next. So right now there are only 4 fish in there - all tetras. I'm beginning to feel like my tank is cursed.

Any thoughts? Thanks --
akg
 
Your water is very soft for guppies. Tetras will be a better bet. What are the ammonia and nitrite like? Forget about pH for now; it really isn't that important.
 
The ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels are all zero. My well water is actually hard and we treat it with a water softener. The gH in the tank is low because I've been using mainly bottled water when I exchange because of the Ph. I'm so confused. The people at the pet store have made a big deal about the Ph, claiming that's what's killing the guppies. And until a few days ago, the tetras were doing great, but I've recently lost 2.
 
Is your tank heavily planted? A cycled tank should have signs of nitrates.

I agree with everyone else about your PH, best to just leave it alone. I have a PH of 8 and sucessfully keep a variety of fish. I would also stop using bottled water and wouldn't bother with the RO water either, they are only uneccessary expenses.
 
Agree, I have a ph of 8.4 and still can keep most things except those fish that specifically require soft water such as discus, etc.
Water softner is fine, just don't add extra salt.

I think the changes in water and ph is what caused your problems. Once I had several fish die when I tried to do the exact same thing by adding bottled water. Just stick with one water source and things will be fine. Also, do you know if your bottled water has anything else in it such as high levels of phosphates?

When you add your bottle water, do you make sure to match the temp of the tank within 2 degrees?
 
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