Problem with PH/Danios

[Deda]

We bought a new 14 gallon tank on Friday and when we tested the PH was 8.2. We bought PH Down and have dosed it several times but it hasn't brought it down any.

One of my co-workers gave us a couple of Zebra Danios, she said it would help regulate our tank. Is this true? If so, how long will it take? If it doesn't what can I do to lower it? And if the method to lower the PH is fast, will it affect the fish?

I have been feeding the Danios freeze dried blood worms and they like them, but are they okay for them to eat? Because feeding instructions for Danios don't mention bloodworms.
Also, the bigger Danio is picking on the littler one. Will adding one more Danio help the situation? If not, how many more do I need to add?

*twirlysmi Any help is appreciated.

 

[frankenfish]

8.2 is on the high side of fine. wikipedia says danios prefer a ph of between 6 and 8. if it gets any higher thats when you should start to worry.

yes adding fish can help stabilize the tank. have you cycled it? zebra danios are very hardy and should do fine if you put them in. and no the ph shouldn't fluctuate fast enough to harm the fish.

freeze dried bloodworms are fine. just don't overfeed. only feed as much as they will eat in about 2 minutes. despite what it says on many fish food packages you really only need to feed once a day.

typically having a ratio of more females than males will reduce the aggression (or at least spread it around instead of being focused on just one fish). i'd say adding around 3 more females should help a great deal.

good luck and welcome to the forum!

 

[Deda]

We just got it on friday, we're sort of beginners and not sure how to "cycle" the tank or what that even means.

We want to add several other fish like neons and guppies but I'm pretty sure with a PH like that it will kill them so I dunno what to do about the PH...

Thank you! I hope to learn a lot about fish and tanks here!

 

[frankenfish]

cycling is the process of establishing the tanks bacteria that will regulate the amount of ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite. i've got to go eat dinner right now. if no one else has explained by the time i get back i'l fill you in

 

[Deda]

Thanks, have a great dinner!

 

[lauraf]

Hi Deda, welcome to the forum! Cycling a tank can be done with or without fish. Here is an article to give you some info on the process:
The Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle
For now, DO NOT WORRY about your pH. DO NOT ADD ANYTHING to raise or lower it. Most fish can handle a variety of pH levels - what they can't handle is huge sudden swings in pH levels, and, more pressingly for you right now, ammonia spikes as a result of an uncycled tank.
We can walk you through the process of cycling your tank with the two danios in it, or if you can temporarily return them to your friend, you can do a fishless cycle.
Cheers,
Laura

 

[pateceramics]

Agreed. Leave that ph alone! It's easy to adjust it in the first place, but it's very tricky to keep it constant once you do that. The ph swings are much worse for your fish than a steady ph that is a little high.