Ph Level I'm very confused

dan518

Potamotrygon
MFK Member
Sep 20, 2014
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I would start off doing 20% waterchanges every day until your tank pH matches the tap pH, once this is achieved a 50 to 60% weekly waterchange should be enough, keep testing if it isn't up the waterchange. I do about 70% weekly on a 215 gal with about the same bio load as you.
 

BIG-G

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
Dec 12, 2005
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I agree that you can do water changes and it should help to move the ph slowly.
But, if your water doesn’t have any buffering capacity the ph will continue to drop.
You also started that you add bog wood this could be adding to the ph drop.
The wood could also be softening the water as well causing the buffering capacity to be even less.
I believe you will need to add a calcium carbonate source of some kind to buffer and stabilize the ph.
I have well water that has a ph of 7.6 straight from the source but has a fairly low hardness and buffering capacity. If I do not add some buffering to my tanks my ph settles around 6 which is ok for the fish I keep.
But to keep any higher ph tanks I have to add some crushed coral.
 
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altums85

Peacock Bass
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Dec 6, 2018
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how are the fish behaving? eating normal? everything normal? if so, i suspect your test kit is reading the PH wrong. i would buy another one or buy a diff equipment and test the ph again before doing anything/adding anything to the tank.
 
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Catfish093

Feeder Fish
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Jul 31, 2018
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how are the fish behaving? eating normal? everything normal? if so, i suspect your test kit is reading the PH wrong. i would buy another one or buy a diff equipment and test the ph again before doing anything/adding anything to the tank.
The only things that will eat ferociously is my Bichir, the rest don't seem to care.
 
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