WHY IS MY WATER SO ACIDIC???

bes2534

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 27, 2008
25
0
0
Pittsburgh, PA
I've come to realize that the pH of my tank is very acidic and I do not know why!? I have a tank of guppies and I read that they prefer more neutral-alkaline water. I only have a few fish in my tank and I vaccuum and pwc once a week. However, I did have a few plants that did not do so hot, could this be part of the reason? I discarded the plants a few days ago and cleaned up all the dead leaves.

I just bought pH UP today and used the suggested amount only to raise the pH just a bit. It seemed to work, then a few hours later I tested the water again and its back to 6.0!! I even tested the tap water and its by no means acidic.

What could be some of the reason why my water is so acidic and how can I neutralize it???
 

12 Volt Man

Potamotrygon
MFK Member
May 24, 2007
6,529
824
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canada
could be a few reasons:

1. driftwood

2. the decaying plant matter.

or

3. old tank syndrome - not doing enough water changes allows waste (visible and dissolved) and causes a gradual drop in pH.

I wouldn't bother with the pH up stuff.

just do smaller frequent water changes to bring the pH back up slowly. something like 10% per day will be fine and not give the fish pH shock.

the general rule is that if your pH is dropping - the cause is organics - fish waste, tannic acids from driftwood/decaying plants etc.

if it is rising - its inorganic - ie calcium leaching from rocks/shells etc.

good luck
 

tha machine8

Feeder Fish
Jul 14, 2008
1
0
0
australia
just put a bit more ph up in it should not go back down that fast...just try ph up again and see low ph is worse than high ph so it is probly good you fix the problem or maybe ur tester kid is stuffed!
 

killerfish

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jan 30, 2007
6,067
5
62
colorado
do you have drift wood ? what kind of substrate are you useing ?
 

haynchinook334

Giant Snakehead
MFK Member
Feb 14, 2008
14,479
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\m/(O_o)\m/
Use crushed sea shells to raise your PH.
 

12 Volt Man

Potamotrygon
MFK Member
May 24, 2007
6,529
824
174
canada
PM sent.

in the past what I have done is used water changes to get the pH back up, and then put a small amount of crushed coral inside a filter bag and place that in your filter.

it has worked very well - just enough to buffer the water (allowing it to resist changes to pH) but not enough to raise it to unsafe levels (ie 8.0+ and above for most freshwater fish).

you can try this technique.
 

Miles

Stingray King
MFK Member
Jul 2, 2005
5,538
152
120
Spokane, WA
Your alkalinity is low.

Alkalinity dictates how stable your pH is.

Your alkalinity can be naturally low, but can also be lowered over time in an aquarium.

The primary cause of decreasing Alkalinity is the nitrifying bacteria consuming the minerals that contribute to your alkalinity.

If you have lots of debris being broken down by nitrifying bacteria, your alkalinity will decrease more rapidly. (ie: decaying plants, detritus in gravel, uneaten food.)

The more acidic the substances being released into the tank, and the weaker your alkalinity, the more it will effect the pH.

Acidic substances are usually organic, like stated before. Tannic acid released from driftwood or leaves, decaying matter, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate = all acidic..

Calcium based substances are made of minerals, like stated before. Crushed coral releases minerals that will help boost your alkalinity. Basically, anything calcium based from the ocean will act as a 'buffer' to help boost your alkalinity, as well as your pH.

Chemicals are temporary buffers, which were designed for specialized purposes like triggering a spawn. They were not designed to permanently stabilize your pH. Depending on your alkalinity and water chemistry, your pH will just return to normal over time. Baking Soda is also another option for a buffer to increase pH, but it is not as nearly as stable or efficient as running a fine mesh bag full of crushed coral in your filter. (The crushed coral media will release an even amount of buffer over an extended amount of time, while chemical buffers are quick sudden fixes that are more detrimental than beneficial.)

Good Maintenance, Regular Water Changes, and Proper Feeding is the key to maintaining your alkalinity.. Fix that, and it will fix your pH for you.

Take care of your water, and your water will take care of your fish. :D




Enjoy!
 

l3raD

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 10, 2008
269
0
0
Tasmania, Australia
i have same problem except my ph wont go down haha! ill post and seek help now =(
want half my water and ill have some of yours might work =)
 
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