n0kturnal

HI all, recently i posted about my ph dropping dramatically all the time.
well i've gotten the ph to go up now with the buffer range.
i spend alot of money on kh up and gh up and ph up (i know chemicals are not recommended) and i have used these methods. i set kh up and now its gone way over the amount its meant to be at.
What i dont get is, since the kh buffer is up, should the ph be up now? my ph use to keep dropping to 6.2 but after the adjusting of the buffer its now higher but dropping to 7.4. am i making sence? somebody please help me. i'm going through alot of unnecessary salts and powders.
thanks.

Dino

What is the pH of your water when it comes out of the tap?
What is the frequency of your water changes?
How large an amount are those water changes?
Substrate?
Feeding schedule and what are you feeding?
Is it all being eatten or removed?

Dino

n0kturnal

What is the pH of your water when it comes out of the tap?
6.4

What is the frequency of your water changes?
Once a week

How large an amount are those water changes?
about 25%

Substrate?
eh?

Feeding schedule and what are you feeding?
3 times daily with cichlid pellets mixed with flakes.

Is it all being eatten or removed?
all being eaten.
does food really have that much of an impact on ph?

0morrokh

substrate is the stuff on the bottom--probably some sort of gravel.

off-ice

Your pH of 6.4, is that right out of the tap, or after it has set? If right out of the tap, fill a cup of water and let it set for 24 hrs, then test it again.

Why all the chemicals? There are much easier ways to raise the KH if that is all you want, but again I would ask why?

KH and pH are directly related. If the KH goes up, so does the pH. If the KH goes down, so does the pH. If it is not acting like this, there is something wrong, (one of the reasons not to use these "up" and "down" chemicals). They are usually phosphate based buffers and it really messes things up.

0morrokh

whoa phosphate based??!! I didn't know that! Wouldn't that cause like an algal bloom?

n0kturnal

algae bloom? wow no wonder my bristlenose are going through a growth spurt.
i've taken out half the water today, gone down to the shop bought 10 kilograms of white calcium rocks for $35AUD and put them in. the KH has lowered. The ph has risen to 8.0. the gh is perfect. Now i will wait 24hrs and test it again. my fish are all swimming around and look very happy.

Butterfly

What fish do you have that you want to adjust Ph and KH for?
Did you check your water after it set in a cup for 24 hours?
Carol

n0kturnal

african cichlids are in my tanks + 3 x bristlenose.
i have and the ph was 6.4

Butterfly

I would think if they are acclimated to your natural ph it would be healthier and safer for them than a constant fluctuation of ph and KH that you tend to get when adjusting them with chemicals. Less expensive and less frustrating for you too.
Carol

0morrokh

Ditto what Butterfly said. I'm keeping Otos (supposedly delicate, soft and acidic water fish) in a pH of about 8.0...it would probably be more harmful to them to try to mess with the pH by dumping in chemicals.