how come my tank water is always acidic?

L

loch

Small Fish
#1
Jul 30, 2006
13
0
0
#1
Hi

I have a very small tank (9") in my office with 1 Honey Dwarf Gourami (1 died a few months ago) and three orange zebras. The water was ok, but it becomes acidic (after i added a plant attached with a wood) no matter how i changed the tank water. My friend said it is the wood and it is good to the fish so i just leave it there. But yesterday, the Honey Dwarf Gourami becomes very inactive, hiding and laying on the bottom.

Is there anything i can do to help the Honey Dwarf Gourami

Please advise!

Thanks
 

L

loch

Small Fish
#5
Jul 30, 2006
13
0
0
#5
ok, i will do that. but since it takes time, is there anything i can do immediately to save the fish... like change water, add salt etc?
 

L

loch

Small Fish
#7
Jul 30, 2006
13
0
0
#7
no, i just took out some water and add new water to it. As for the ph level, i didn't remember the exact ph level but the tester color changed to light orange.
 

J

JWright

Superstar Fish
#11
Oct 22, 2002
2,192
7
0
40
Snowy Upstate New York
www.cnytheater.com
#11
Well, without some more information about the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels, it's hard to say what's up with the gourami...

As far as the pH goes, it's almost certainly dropping due to the tannic acid being leached by the wood you added. Without knowing the exact pH, it's impossible to say if its too low or not. As a rule, gouramis like softer, more acidic water.
 

L

loch

Small Fish
#12
Jul 30, 2006
13
0
0
#12
Hi, i just called the pet shop and they suggested me to change 50% of the water and add 2 spoons of salts to it for 2-3 days until the fish gets better. i also took out the water plant. the fish now swims a bit and then lies back to the bottom...looks tired....

however, the PH is still acidic, it is now 5.5 to 6.

what do you mean by "soft" water? is the ph now ok for it?

please advise

charlotte
 

F

FishGeek

Elite Fish
#14
May 13, 2005
4,294
5
0
38
South Carolina
#14
Wait so you werent using a Tap Water Conditioner??? That could very well be your problem right there. Tap Water Conditioner is a requirement in fish keeping. I reccomend getting some and doing a complete water change. (Put your fish in a bowl or something with the current water.) Also how many gallons is your tank??? Are you using a filter???
 

L

loch

Small Fish
#15
Jul 30, 2006
13
0
0
#15
yes, i am using a filter but no tap water conditioner, i normally use distilled water and tap water (let it stand for one day).

if i do complete water change...what water should i use?? cuz i have heard that there should be some good bateria in the water etc etc....

please advise

thanks
 

echoofformless

echoofformless

Large Fish
#18
Sep 11, 2005
749
1
0
49
Philadelphia
www.myspace.com
#18
NO! Don't buy anything to mess with your pH!!!!

No buffers and no neutralizers. Your pH is perfect for gouramis and zebras. In fact you should even consider yourself lucky; I have to run peat filtration to get my pH down to that level.

As far as your water changes and what not, you do need to use water conditioner. Amquel and Prime are the two that seem to get the highest ratings among the available products.

The reason you need to treat your water before introducing it into the system is because it has either chlorine or chloramine which is harmful to fish and deadly for your beneficial bacteria. Don't use distilled water, as it lacks trace nutrients. Just stick with treated tap water and don't worry a bit about your pH - it's actually perfect for the fish you are keeping.
 

FroggyFox

FroggyFox

Forum Manager
Moderator
#19
May 16, 2003
8,589
10
38
42
Colorado
#19
Always using the same water to do water changes will help...as well as being on a regular schedule. If you change 50% of the water once a week, use dechlorinator...that would be a good schedule. I agree that salt won't do any good. How long have you had this fish in this tank? I'm guessing its cycled since you said a gourami died a few months ago...
 

You must log in or register to reply here.