API (Proper ph 6.5)

[Rigil]

Hello Guys,

Previously i post a thread on my water parameters, and it seem to be that my ph is too high for most of my tanks. ph 7.5-7.8, so i asked around and most tell me water ph for monsters are best from ph 6-7.
And when i was at the fish farm today, i happen to see API (Proper ph 6.5), and i was so excited, finally case solved! so i bought 2 bottles of it.
Realizing later when i got home i read the description and it says, WHEN TO USE: Use when setting up a new aquarium... etc.
So am i still able to use THis for my current tanks?? with fishes inside??

 

[aclockworkorange]

7.5 to 7.8 is completely fine for most fish. Don't use this ph product. It likely won't even work, depending on your kh. What is your stock?

 

[Rigil]

7.5 to 7.8 is completely fine for most fish. Don't use this ph product. It likely won't even work, depending on your kh. What is your stock?

Wow! so i just wasted 2 Bottles of IT!?? so it really doesnt work?
For my 6' tank i have 4x DAtnoids ranging from 11"-13", a 13" motoro and a royal pleco. 7.5-7.8
and for the 3' got 7" golden Arowana and royal pleco. ph 7.5-7.8

 

[aclockworkorange]

Wow! so i just wasted 2 Bottles of IT!?? so it really doesnt work?
For my 6' tank i have 4x DAtnoids ranging from 11"-13", a 13" motoro and a royal pleco. 7.5-7.8
and for the 3' got 7" golden Arowana and royal pleco. ph 7.5-7.8

Well, I'm sure you know this tank will soon be way too small for some of those fish. On ph...

First, -THIS IS IMPORTANT- your water's kh level is basically its ability to absorb and neutralize acid. So if your kh is high, you can add acid based products like this API stuff all day long and your ph won't drop, or it will drop for a bit and then jump right back up.

Second, ph jumping all over like that is stressful to your fish. Everytime you do a water change you're going to fight it all over again. It's just better to have a stable ph in general--maybe with extreme wild caught blackwater species you could consider it, but most the time it's just really not necessary to lower it.

The only time I really advocate (besides the extreme blackwater species I mentioned) someone even considering messing with ph/kh is if your kh is low in your tap (which usually means your tank water is acidic and tends to jump around a lot). In this case I add a mild buffer with fish that prefer a higher ph/kh, the idea being that since you're raising your kh that even water changes shouldn't cause any big ph swings because your water will buffer out the acids in the new water.

The only reliable way to drop ph reliably IMO is using a reverse osmosis unit to filter your tap water before you put it in your tank.

 

[Rigil]

Well, I'm sure you know this tank will soon be way too small for some of those fish. On ph...

First, -THIS IS IMPORTANT- your water's kh level is basically its ability to absorb and neutralize acid. So if your kh is high, you can add acid based products like this API stuff all day long and your ph won't drop, or it will drop for a bit and then jump right back up.

Second, ph jumping all over like that is stressful to your fish. Everytime you do a water change you're going to fight it all over again. It's just better to have a stable ph in general--maybe with extreme wild caught blackwater species you could consider it, but most the time it's just really not necessary to lower it.

The only time I really advocate messing with ph/kh is if your kh is low in your tap (which usually means your tank water is acidic and tends to jump around a lot). In this case I add a mild buffer with fish that prefer a higher ph/kh, the idea being that since you're raising your kh that even water changes shouldn't cause any big ph swings because your water will buffer out the acids in the new water.

The only reliable way to drop ph reliably IMO is using a reverse osmosis unit to filter your tap water before you put it in your tank.

Oh gosh i totally get what you are saying right now with the KH thing, thanks for explaining it to me! so much home work to be done on KH, PH and all that.
But does it really affect much of the ph to jump back up again, even if just changing 20% of tank water? i guess not right?

 

[aclockworkorange]

Bottom line, for your tank with the information you've given I would just recommend NOT using any sort of product to mess with your ph or kh. If anything you will likely actually end up harming them.

If you want to research more on the subject there's some great reads searching on google, but be careful if you end up on a site where anyone is selling anything and promoting their own products.

 

[Rigil]

Bottom line, for your tank with the information you've given I would just recommend NOT using any sort of product to mess with your ph or kh. If anything you will likely actually end up harming them.

If you want to research more on the subject there's some great reads searching on google, but be careful if you end up on a site where anyone is selling anything and promoting their own products.

noted