I have a 100 gallon tank and I conduct partial water changes about every 1 or 2 weeks. When the water comes out of my tap, the PH is at about 7-7.2. I did a partial water change about a week ago and the PH was right at about 7 when I put the new water in the tank. I just checked it today and it was almost at 6! I have some malaysian driftwood and a few flower pots and rocks in there. What could be causing this drop in PH? And I know drastic changes are bad, so how gradually should I work it back to about 7?
Why did my PH drop?
- Thread starter englunkm
- Start date
What is your KH or 'Alkalinity' reading?
Your KH is what holds your PH steady... if the KH is real low, it makes PH swings much easier...
You should also let a container of tapwater sit overnight with some form of circulation. Then test it. This will be a much more accurate reading of your tap water. "fresh from the pipe" it can offer misleading results...
The driftwood will "soak up" KH, thus allowing your PH to drop...
Adding just a hint of Baking Soda can increase the KH making your PH more stable... adding a bit more will increase your PH...
Your KH is what holds your PH steady... if the KH is real low, it makes PH swings much easier...
You should also let a container of tapwater sit overnight with some form of circulation. Then test it. This will be a much more accurate reading of your tap water. "fresh from the pipe" it can offer misleading results...
The driftwood will "soak up" KH, thus allowing your PH to drop...
Adding just a hint of Baking Soda can increase the KH making your PH more stable... adding a bit more will increase your PH...
I use 1 teaspoon marine salt mix, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 tablespoon epsom salt per 20 gallons. My KH is at 4 and pH at 7.2. Here is the link to the article which explains it all: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/fwh2oquality.htm
I'm sure people are tired of hearing me talk about this LOL but it really saved our pond, so I know that it works. It is also cheap and easy to measure. Just change the water over gradually to insure your fish don't get stressed.
I'm sure people are tired of hearing me talk about this LOL but it really saved our pond, so I know that it works. It is also cheap and easy to measure. Just change the water over gradually to insure your fish don't get stressed.
justonemoretank;3558361; said:
Ok, so you would recommend using this formula during every water change and those are the readings that I should get?
Yep, with that dosage, you should get readings around those. This is what we did: We made a solution up in a 5 gallon bucket which "treated" 25% of our tank's volume. Then we added it, and the next week, we added the same amount, and so on. Once we had treated all of the water, then we just mix up what we take out when we do a water change to keep everything stable. When you read the article, it sort of explains this, but he says to do it during water changes, and we just didn't want to do those huge water changes on our pond, so we did the solution and added it slowly. Also, it goes over the amounts you add for certain fish. The recipe I gave you is for a community tank. Definitely read the whole article, though, because it will teach you about water chemistry, pH, KH and all, and definitely have a KH and pH test kit on hand so you can monitor changes.
Based on the conversaton we've had thus far...
I am only suggesting you add a touch of Baking Soda... This will raise your KH and therefore stabilize your PH...
1 tablespoon per 20 gal sounds reasonable... although I would start small and increase as needed...
You should not assume the mixture he uses on his water will have the exact same results on your water...
I wouldn't add the salts unless you have a specific reason to. I don't think you shuold assume 'just onetank's solution will be the esact same as yoru solution without doing a lot more comparison of the initial parameters, the problem being addressed and the type fo fish being kept... and probably a dozen other details...
I am by no means suggesting Justonemoretank's advice is bad advice... I'm just saying you should make sure it's the right advice for your situation...
I am only suggesting you add a touch of Baking Soda... This will raise your KH and therefore stabilize your PH...
1 tablespoon per 20 gal sounds reasonable... although I would start small and increase as needed...
You should not assume the mixture he uses on his water will have the exact same results on your water...
I wouldn't add the salts unless you have a specific reason to. I don't think you shuold assume 'just onetank's solution will be the esact same as yoru solution without doing a lot more comparison of the initial parameters, the problem being addressed and the type fo fish being kept... and probably a dozen other details...
I am by no means suggesting Justonemoretank's advice is bad advice... I'm just saying you should make sure it's the right advice for your situation...
This is one reason I gave the link to the article. It is fully informative and I feel like information is necessary in order to make a smart decision. It's also why I suggest only adding enough mix for 25% of the tank's volume per week. However, it stands to reason that soft water is soft water, and our KH was 0 and pH was 6 or below before we added this mix, and it brought levels up to what I state above. I definitely want the OP to read the article, though, which I stated, because it's important to know WHY you're doing what you're doing, and how it's working.
Very cool... I'm all about encouraging education!Also note the times on our last two posts... We were writing them at the same time... ;-)
I do think it would be important the the OP here test his tap water after allowing it to sit overnight. It's not unheard of to have initial readings a bit off for a variety of reasons... It's a very simple first step in analyzation...
Although it sounds like a lot of work... you don't like your pH?... well then go spend two hours on research! LOL but it really is important to know why people tell you to do stuff. Too often, people just say, "add salt..." it's their go-to answer for whatever illness, water condition, symptom, etc... "Add salt." Why? There's only a few things this is actually going to help! Also, this is just an awesome article in general. I didn't even really understand KH and pH before I read it.