Yodi

I use test strips to test my water. It shows that the PH Is low and also the Alkalinity Is low. I think the PH Is water hardness right? I did a water change but It didn't make a difference. I've lost several fish already. These are my first fish, I had goldfish In the tank for months before I took them out and thouroughly cleaned the tank and then added ALL my fish at one time(probably a bad thing huh?) I have tiger barbs that are thriving, algae eaters are thriving, but I've lost some red bellied tetras and some Micky Mouse Platties. :O( Is It because of the PH and Alkalinity, and how do I fix that? Or did I get too many fish at one time? The temp of my tank Is between 75 and 78 degrees. As always I appreciate your help!!

Yodi

Guzalot

PH is a measure of water acidity. A PH of 7.0 is neutral, below 7 is acidic and above 7 is alkaline. Alkalinity is a measure of "buffering capacity", ie how resistant the water is to a change in PH. Low alkalinity can cause your PH to change drastically in a short period of time. Test strips aren't terribly accurate though, you're better off using a chemical test kit or taking a sample of your water to your LFS. Hope this helps.

Yodi

Thanks for the response. How do I fix this problem?

Yodi

Guzalot

Many posters here will advise against it, but I use Seachem Neutral Regulator, which adjusts PH to 7.0. I add it twice a month, and it eventually raised the buffering capacity of my water so I haven't had a problem with PH swings. Also I use it instead of water conditioner to remove chlorine during water changes. I use 1/2 teaspoon per 5 gallons during water changes because my tap water is extremely acidic (<6.0). It's been a great solution for me.

sgould

Also, have you tested ammonia and nitrites to be sure they are not your problem?

Guzalot

Good advice. If possible, take a sample of your water to your LFS and see if they will test it for you.

tan.b

your pH and alkalinity isnt the likely culprit of your fish deaths. firstly have you read the fishlore for beginners. i know there's alot to read, but the time taken to read it will save you time and deaths in the future! secondly, adding alot of fish at once will send your ammonia levels up, then your nitrite levels up. (read the nitrogen cycle if you've no idea what i'm on about!! ) thirdly, once you've understood why you add only a few fish at once, you'll also see you must acclimate your fish very slowly. tetras in particular are senstive to new tanks. not only the water temp do they need to get used to (by floating the bag), but also your water chemistry. your pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, water hardness, oxygen content etc etc is likely to be very different to the pet shops. so you need to add about a cupful of your tank water to the bag of new fish every half hour or so until the bag is full and THEN release your fish. by now they've had a taster of what your tank water is! armadillo did a fab post on beginners mistakes, its' stickied at the top of this beginners board and is well worth a read.
so, i've covered a few options. some you may already of known (but i thought them worth mentioning anyway in case you didnt!) and maybe a few you didnt know you can bear in mind for nxt time. do not buy any more fish though until you've got these settled in and your water chemistry settles, as its will have a few peaks while these settle in. also it may be worth doing some 50% water changes every other day or so until you get some accurate readings. most people on here (incl me) recommend the API freshwater test kit. its very easy to use, cheap (per test...wil last you for ages unlike the strips which are notoriously inaccurate), and its available in most countries and most shops, both real and online!!
any other questions....do ask! no question is a dumb one!!! the only dumb ones are the people that dont ask!!! we will always help! - but some readings would be fab!!! can tell alot about a tank from the readings, plus tank size and whats in it! more info the better for us to diagnose!

Yodi

Thank you very much for the excellent Info!! I figured since I had the goldfish In the tank before the tropical fish that the tank would be ready for several fish. I have a 30 gal. tank. I'm going out to buy a PH buffer to bring up my PH and Alkalinity, the rest of the readings were just fine. But this time I'll wait before I start adding more fish to my tank again. And should I also add water to the bag of the mollies I plan to add to my tank along with the tetras to let them get used to the PH? You guys are great!

Yodi

Butterfly

Most fish will adjust to the Ph of your water if acclimated slowly. if the fish you are buying are bought locally they are most likely used to the Ph anyway. frequently adjusting the Ph can cause it to fluctuate and this is very stressful for your fish and stress will make them sick and die. a stable Ph is much better than a fluctuating one. i don't think the Ph is your problem.
You said you had goldfish in the tank then took them out and cleaned the tank. How aggressively did you clean the tan? Sounds to me like the beneficial bacteria was destroyed and the tank is going through a cycle again. ammonia and Nitrite spikes will kill fish very swiftly.
Carol

Yodi

My Nitrates, Nitrites and water hardness were all at safe levels. It Is the PH and Alkalinity that are very low, and the Instructions on the test bottle says to add PH plus. Are you saying adding the PH plus Is a bad Idea?

Yodi

Butterfly

Yes in my opinion adding anything to change your naturally occurring Ph is a bad idea. Ph adjustors usually cause the Ph to fluctuate and fluctuations in your Ph can cause fish deaths.
the only time Ph adjustors are practical and safe is if you are raising very sensitive and rare fish that need a certain Ph to survive. Then the Ph has to be checked and adjusted every day to keep it from fluctuating.
Carol

Guzalot

I have to respectfully disagree here. The PH regulator I use has gradually raised my Alkalinity (buffering) and I don't experience PH swings at all. My tap water is PH 6.0, but my tank has remained at a steady 7.0 for the past 6+ months. Of course, I add the PH regulator to the tap water before I put it in my tank in lieu of water conditioner since it also neutralizes chlorine.

COBettaCouple

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2004+114130 - This is the testing kit that we use and recommend. It's easy to use and will give you accurate results.

When we started out we spent plenty of money and tried all kinds of things to get the magical 7.0 pH but after a lot of research and watching how fish from the LPS did without pH tampering, I determined the way to go on pH is to keep things stable. Our tap water is 7.8 consistently and we just treat it with Prime water conditioner before adding it to the tank. The fish are happy even if the pH is "high" - they do get used to the local water and we don't even test for pH anymore.. just Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates to be sure our tanks are staying cycled.

Butterfly

As I stated it is my opinion and I will add my experience that this is so. I will also say disagreeing is ok this how we share our experiences and learn from each other
Carol

Kevin

dont get Ph buffer that will lower your Ph, get the opposite of that, whatever it is...if u do buy a "ph up" get the seachem brand...its the best out there

Guzalot

Absolutely. That's what makes this site great!

COBettaCouple

well then i disagree! .. jk! ..it is nice here at fishlore that we can share different opinions without everyone getting mega-wedgies.

Butterfly

ouch!!!