pH keeps dropping to 6.0

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
M

MichelleL

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 18, 2008
79
1
0
North Bay
I have two tanks.. I was doing water changes once a week but I now have to do water changes twice a week on my 90G to keep the PH up.. the ph keeps dropping to 6.0 from 7.2 within a few days. The fish are healthy and acting fine. The ph does not drop however on the 29G.. it stays at 7.2.
I really dont understand why the ph keeps dropping on the large tank. I make sure they is no left over food rotting in the tank. I'm cleaning like crazy. lol. The ph out of my tap is 7.2. The tanks are identical with What is in them. same type of decorations, plants and rocks.

6.0 is very low and stops the benificial bactiria from growing. I don't want to add buffers because I heard they are more problems as the fish will get stressed from constant jumping.. and I don't know what is causing the ph to drop in this tank.

I have been researching about putting shells in the tank.. I heard one very small shell for a 90G will bring the ph up 0.2 and should keep it there. I know shells are good for bring ph up but how truthful is one small one =0.2. I know i would have to boil it before adding it to the back of the filter but I also want some opinions or help. It would be greatly appricated on some assitance with this ph issue

Thanks in advance. :)

Oh yes and my ammonia is at 0.0 and nitrite 0.0 and nitrate 10
 
i had the same problem as u..

if u wish to raise ur PH i highly recommend using crushed coral in the filter. it worked for me! my PH use to be 6.2 and below... now its about 7.5 stable!! the crushed coral really helps to stabilize the PH my KH is 150PPM! it was 0!!!! before the crushed coral.. so was the GH now its 100PPM.

i use this one: http://www.bigalsonline.ca/StoreCat...ery=crushed+coral&queryType=0&hits=12&offset=
 
Does it matter now much I add? and I forgot to mention it is a freshwater tank, blood parrots, mollies, platy's and pleco's.
 
there is more going on behind the scenes here....... what do you have for driftwood if any? what are your ammonia levels?
 
Ammonia stays at 0 I have no drift wood.. nothing added.. I was giving the plecos I small zucinni but only the day before a water change. I do %20 water changes. I stopped giving them Zucinni becuause I was affaid that was the problem but it still happens.
 
have you tested the water at the faucet? and what are you using for substrate?
 
The ph out of the tap is 7.2. Everyting in the tank is plastic.. When i stated the tank up I went with plastic plants decorations and the small fake plastic rocks.
My 29G has the same things in it.. even if Zucinni go's in one tank it's go's in the 90G as well. Nothing is different as for things in the tank from the 29g to the 90G... the only difference is the 90G has low ph and the 29G's PH stays at 7.2 no matter what.. Both tanks have a hang on the back style filter but the difference with the 90G is I also have a Rena Filstar XP3 to handle the size of the tank and fish.
 
My brain is being racked on what is causing the PH to be different in the 90G.. the ironic thing is that I am upgrading right now and taking chemistry.. the section I am on... PH . LMAO.. no mater what I learn and do to prevent low ph in that tank.. nothing works.. Thats why I'm here. lol. I want to try and fix it without adding anything.. if anyone can see somthing I am not seeing that would help. I like the idea of crushed corel I just don't want to add too much of adjust too much at once
 
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