Consistently high PH?

Hendre

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Hey guys. Have a bit of a weird issue here.

It looks like my tap PH is a little too high?
It comes out of the tap at 9.2, after 24 hrs is 9.0

The shocker is my Kh is 1-2 and Gh is 2-3. Not a lot to buffer water to that PH, our general TDS is 100-150 as well. I've retested all the parameters with a PH pen and PH kit and double tested the hardness. Any clue as to what's happening?

I thought tap PH is generally lower due to co2? Or would something else be added to get the PH up?

Thanks, Hendré
 

J. H.

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They often add CaCO2 to tapwater to protect copper pipes and protect you from lead pipes. I get here too, but not as bad. The .2ph drop you see over 24hrs. is from the CO2. (I could be wrong.)
duanes duanes RD. RD. Chicxulub Chicxulub thebiggerthebetter thebiggerthebetter tlindsey tlindsey know more then I do.
 

Deadliestviper7

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They often add CaCO2 to tapwater to protect copper pipes and protect you from lead pipes. I get here too, but not as bad. The .2ph drop you see over 24hrs. is from the CO2. (I could be wrong.)
duanes duanes RD. RD. Chicxulub Chicxulub thebiggerthebetter thebiggerthebetter tlindsey tlindsey know more then I do.
Could also be due to water supply, they do weird stuff to water during shortages and droughts.
 

Hendre

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Could also be due to water supply, they do weird stuff to water during shortages and droughts.
Been like this in periods before the shortages too. But my tanks settle at 7.2-7.6
 

Deadliestviper7

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Been like this in periods before the shortages too. But my tanks settle at 7.2-7.6
Minerals in your tank may be causing things to settle, depending on rocks, gravel etc
Water in arid lands is always weird.
 

duanes

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Although 9.2 is high, depending on the fish you keep, I believes its all about your water source.
All the rift lakes of Africa, and many other natural areas around the world have pH similar to that, including lake Natron where pH rises over 10.
Members of the genus Alcalopia are small cichlids that come from that high pH lake.

Where I used to live the water source was Lake Michigan, average pH in the high 8s so due to it being my tap water source, I tailored the fish I kept, to that water.
Any fish (cichlids, live bearers etc) from Central America, the African rift lakes cichlids, and catfish will find that upper end pH to be quite healthy.
Of course some fish I wanted, it was just not practical to keep, Amazonian species such as Altum Angels, and Panda Uaru, and other soft water low pH loving species are some of those I would not torture with my tap water.
 
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Hendre

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The thing that is striking for me, is how soft my water is compared to the PH. <100ppm hardness. I'll leave the water longer and see how it changes.
 

Hendre

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Interesting development. The PH dropped to 7.8 once standing for another day.
 

thebiggerthebetter

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Interesting development. The PH dropped to 7.8 once standing for another day.
Do you see any precipitate or turbidity increase? I wonder if your tap water contains an active base, that is an alkaline chemical, e.g. calcium or magnesium hydroxide, which is slowly neutralized over time by CO2 in the air.

Another thought is the alkaline chemical in your tap water slowly evaporates into the air. But overall, the chemistry of water and how it ages can be a very complex subject. In the US we receive water quality and composition report yearly from water supply authorities, which may shed some light on what's in the water.
 
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