Really low PH

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Longimanus

Longimanus

Candiru
MFK Member
Feb 19, 2009
405
19
48
BC, Canada
The ph in my tanks has dropped to like 5.5. I tested the water out of the tap and it is only 6. It used to be 7 when I first set the tanks up. I don't know what changed, my sister lives around the corner and her tap ph is still 7.

I have a fish with a cloudy eye,( http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=249798 )I am wondering now if it could be from the low ph. I am not sure if I should do something to raise the ph in all my tanks? Or is it too low to do anything about especially since my tap water is low to begin with? I could add crushed coral to all my filters, but is that a good idea? I'm getting frustrated.:(

I do have driftwood in two of the tanks, should I maybe take it out?
 
how often are you doing water changes? each water change will help to keep the pH up, but yes, it could be the driftwood lowering the pH

cloudy eye is a bacterial infection usually found in tanks with poor water quality, but your water parameters as far as ammonia, nitrite and nitrate seem fine..

low pH can cause cloudy eye and other problems in pH sensitive fish, but your threadfin cichlid is found in lower pH water so it should not be a problem for him.

I have had trouble with barbs in low pH water before, but ususally south american cichlids should be fine..
 
Not quite the same, as his tap ph is 7.2, mine is 6. That's a big difference. I would put coral in the filter, but I'm not sure what will happen come water change time. Will it bump the ph up to 6.5 or so and then I put tap water in and it shoots it back down?
 
Longimanus;3206024; said:
I do about a 30-40% water change once a week. Should I be doing more?
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that should be fine for all but the most overstocked tanks. I do 1/3d each week and I have had some seriously stocked tanks in my day..

its probably the wood.

take it out, continue your water change schedule and see if the pH stablizes at a higher pH.
 
Is a ph of 6 high enough? It won't get any better as that is what comes out of the tap. Is that okay for all my fish? (fish are in signature)
I will take out the wood and see if it helps. I'll have to get some fake decorations I guess.

Thanks for all the help!
 
Longimanus;3206072; said:
Not quite the same, as his tap ph is 7.2, mine is 6. That's a big difference. I would put coral in the filter, but I'm not sure what will happen come water change time. Will it bump the ph up to 6.5 or so and then I put tap water in and it shoots it back down?
Click to expand...


my tap water is RO, has low ph(6's) and 0 KH and GH..

crushed coral will solve ur problems.. 2LBs for every 50 gallons of water.. should do it.. crushed coral will stabilize ur PH.. my KH went from 0 to 150 ppm.. and my ph went from low 6's to stable 7.5 after 5lbs of CC to my 120 FX5.

whats ur GH and KH? tap and tank

i just noticed ur from BC like myself... if u live in the lower mainland u need to buffer u water either chemically using stuff from stores or CC.

if u go to the big Als in Richmond u will see signs posted everywhere warning about the water. big als trys to sell their crap but its garbage just use cc..
 
Thank you, I will get some.
So it doesn't do huge fluctuations everytime you add more tap water?
I don't know what my gh and kh is, I don't have a test kit for that. I noticed those signs at Big Al's, but I figured it was a gimmick to sell stuff lol!
 
Longimanus;3206499; said:
Thank you, I will get some.
So it doesn't do huge fluctuations everytime you add more tap water?
I don't know what my gh and kh is, I don't have a test kit for that. I noticed those signs at Big Al's, but I figured it was a gimmick to sell stuff lol!
Click to expand...



no fluctuation in my tank.
get those test kits man!!! be ready for that stuff, especially if u live in the lower mainland...close to Richmond..

it is a gimmick to sell their expansive chemicals!!!

but its true about the water here.
 
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