My water PH is at 5, why is this so?

[kdrun76]

Ph straight out of the tap is around 7 or a little bit more.

To measure the pH of your tap water you need to let it sit in a container that is not sealed for 12-24 hours. Tap water is pressurized and contains dissoleved carbonic acid. You have to let that out to form carbon dioxide before you can get an accurate pH reading. Straight out of the tank is not accurate.

Also my nitrate is at acceptable levels.

Please numerically define what you mean by that.

Nitrates can actually be lowered by anaerobic bacteria, and may not always be the best measure of water quality.

If there are anerobic bacteria in this filter there are even more serious problems. Nitrate levels are a VERY good indicator of levels of DOC's and tell quite a bit about water quality and fish health. Clearly they are only part of the picture, but they are a rather important part.

 

[zennzzo]

Ph straight out of the tap is around 7 or a little bit more. I have been doing water changes and squeezing out the filter media and the Ph is still low under 6. Do you think it is overstocking? Even thou I have no traces of ammonia or nitrite. Also my nitrate is at acceptable levels.

If your nitrAte levels are acceptable and your Ammonia and NitrIte are non existent then you are experiencing the drop of Ph due to the nitrification process...it is an ugly side effect of not doing enough water changes...
An overstocked tank with alot of filtration will convert the waste but you still have the side effects of greater NitrAtes as well...
remember the only

"solution to pollution is dilution"...

Try changing more of the 5ph more often with the 7+ph water and you'll provide less acidic Ph water...do it slowly so you don't Ph shock your fish.
Daily 33% W/C's for a week ought to do it...

Water chemistry is alot more involved than just Ph, Ammonia, NitrIte and NitrAtes, however these basic values can tell you if there is a problem brewing...

Also something to remember...all those fixes on the LFS's shelves are just money in the bank for the owner of the LFS...and in my experience, they will foul you up with the results just to sell you that stuff. So do your own testing.

Get you a basic Kit like the API master freshwater test kit, then Add the Gh and KH...test, following the exact amount of water, number of drops and wait times. Use a timer and compare in daylight against the white background...

Good luck with your tank,
I just wish I was back on a water system that was 7ph at the tap...I'm currently living in an area on a limestone aquafir and the Ph out of the tap is 8.2+...like having rocks pouring out of the tap, it's so hard

 

[HarleyK]

Howdy,

Ph straight out of the tap is around 7 or a little bit more. I have been doing water changes and squeezing out the filter media and the Ph is still low under 6.

Dude, this simply cannot be answered without knowing your water hardness (gH, kH). It's that simple. You can find out on the web site of your water supplier, if you don't feel like buying a test kit. But we need to know your hardness.

HarleyK

 

[zennzzo]

What he said^^^^^^^