Please help with pH woes!

[Cher]

I use the Aquarium Pharm. High Range pH Indicator test and the water in my Eclipse 12 tests at 8.0 to 8.2 despite using pH Down per the instructions during this past week.. It's a fully cycled tank that I just added fish to last Saturday (4 bleeding heart tetras, 8 neon tetras, 4 rummy-nose tetras) and altho I lost a couple of the neons, which I expected, the fish seem active and fine.  Is there any other way I can get the pH down to a more comfortable level?   I have a few small live plants in the tank as well..  Is it possible that they could be contributing to the high pH?                            
???

All input will be appreciated.   *twirlysmiley*

Cher

 

[FishChick]

Ph down is only a temp. soultion for high ph.  Your best off doing water changes.  Also I would watch how much food you put in, you could be over feeding.  

 

[colesea]

What is the pH out of the tap?  8.2 seems a bit high for tap water. Do you have any sea shells or coral in the tank for decorations? If you do, take them out.  

If your fish are fine, I wouldn't worry about the pH at all and just do regular water changes to keep it stable.
~~Colesea

 

[luvfishies]

Also, you could use peat to lower the pH if the KH (carbonate hardness) is low enough.

If the KH is high (above 6) pH down will do nothing long term.

http://hjem.get2net.dk/Best_of_the_Web/peat%20page.html

There's a good site about peat and what it does to your water.
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/

about 2/3 down that page is some more peat info.

 

[eseow]

Also, if your tap water is High Ph, try using distilled or Purified water. This is stripped water which you should be able to condition to your liking, and since the tank is small its not that much water to pay for. Also like Cole said, take sea shells, coral rock, or any high type calcium rock. Even the substrate may cause this. Also when are you checking the PH? Ph readngs can be affected by live plants, if checked before lights turn off or on, due to plants using Oxygen at night, and CO2 during day or light hours. *crazysmiley*

 

[wayne]

Unfortuneately 8 is not an exceptionally high tapwater pH - is this what it is?
 What is your hardness - worry about this instead.  if it's low you can use pH down to mess around with pH, but think before you do it - you're adding chemicals, specifically acids, to change this level, so every time you do a water change, and you may be doing a lot, you'll neeed to do it again.  My own feeling is that a constantly varying pH is worse than a slighly incorrect ph, especially if your fish appear fine - bon't mes around with ph et for the hell of it.

If your water is hard, and I bet it is, then you'll find pH down, in fact most things useless as the amount of dissolved alkalines will buffer the pH down, causing what you see now.  I agree, get distilled or RO water and use it 50:50 or with cleaned tapwater for your water change.  This will reduce your hardness (do your own math) to a level that the fish prefer, and where you can consider pH editing.
 Plants are probably helping REDUCE your pH - oragnic matter tends to cause acidic trends - I believe the tendency in aging tank water is down.

I agree with the sea shells, coral sand advice - if you have it, get it out.  

 

[keprydak]

Personally, I would stay away from chemicals. They are really more trouble than they are worth. You need to be careful with them, because depending on GH & KH, you can cause a pH crash and kill your fish. The lower those two factors, the more likely, and more easily pH will crash. My neons and other various tetras have lived for almost 2 years in water very simliar to yours (in regards of pH). Most fish who are farm raised aren't really that picky. If they don't seemed stressed, then I really wouldn't worry about it. But if you keep using chemicals, I would be wary.

 

[Matt Nace]

My water has always been hard and akaline. My Ph used to be 7.8 at my other home , now is 8.2 out of the tap(since summer,was 8.0 durring the winter).

I never worry about my PH. My fish are always happy, healthy, and live long durations in their homes.

The simplest way is to do as suggested, and add r/o or purified water to your water changes. Gradually bringing it down to where you need it.

Plants and fish both are just fine with what I have, your should be too. *thumbsup2*

 

[tjbray]

Another approach you could try, which would benefit any live plants you may have as well, is CO2 injection. A DIY system is cost effective and easy to make. *thumbsupsmiley*