Scorpio_Girl

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this forum, plus new to the fish world.

I purchased a 37-gallon column tank almost 2 months ago. I bought everything, tank, stand, lights, heater, canister filter, bio stars, start up chemicals, chlorine remover and god only know what else. I let the tank do its thing for almost 2 weeks before introducing 4 sarpae tetras and 4 plants.

The ph was good, and I was checking the ammonia every other day waiting for it to spike; which I was told would happen within 2 weeks of adding the fish. Apparently I missed the ammonia spike, as 1 month after adding the fish I was still at 0 ppm. The one thing I have noticed is my Ph is climbing, it started at 6.4, but has now reached 7.2, and probably still climbing. I have done several water changes, the last one being yesterday.

My local fish store is Big Al’s; I was there the other day I explained to one of the fish guru’s the ammonia in my tank; possibly not yet having spiked, but I was hoping to purchase a few cats. I also asked about my ph, as it was 7 at that time, she told me not to be too concerned with the ph; apparently within range for the type of community tank I’m interested in. She recommended I get a few more sarpae's or black skirt tetras (although she felt I had miss the spike); evidently cats are extremely sensitive, so she recommended waiting a couple more weeks just in case.

Now my ph has hit an all time high of 7.2 and I’m not sure what to do. I’ve been doing research online and have also been speaking with various friend and relatives who have tanks. Everyone has a different suggestion on what I should be doing. My fish, snails and plants are all fine, but I’m nervous to add anything else. What should I do about the ph? Anything?

One other thing, my brother and parents also have tanks (35 & 120 gallons), but their problem is the opposite; their tanks are more acidic and we are all on the same water source.

Perhaps I’m just over thinking and analyzing. I’d appreciate hearing your thoughts and suggestions.

Thanks in advance,
Scorpio

Alessa

First, welcome to FL

second, dont add new fish,
third, what are your other water parameters? nitrite? nitrate?
4th, exactly what have you added to the water.
without those it is hard to know what's going on.

the first step to follow now is to know the other water parameters....

Barbrella

HI and welcome!

In addition to Alessa's questions I'll add: How often are you doing water changes and how much water each time?

Your pH is not high at all, and I wouldn't add anything to the water to try and adjust it. FIsh do much better with steady chemistry readings than with the fluctuations caused by adding adjusters.

When you says "cats" do you mean corydoras? They are sensitive to high nitrates.

Shawnie

welcome to fishlore!! I wouldnt worry about ph as fish acclimate very easily to most ...im wondering what kind of test kit you are using?? and I agree until you get all your readings, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates , I wouldnt add anymore fish yet either

Scorpio_Girl

As of today:
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm

The only thing I added to the water originally was a water conditioner to remove the chlorine. However, now I have a container with 2 - 3 gallons of water sitting underneath for when I need to add water; so now I don't add anything and haven't for 2 weeks.

And yes, I do mean corydoras.

API Freshwater Matser test kit (includes ph, high range ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate tests with 4 separate glass viles.

I've done at least 4 10% water changes since adding fish at the beginning of June.

jdhef

Your ph is well within the range that fish can tolerate, but it is curious that it keeps rising. Possibly you have substrate or some orniments that are leaching carbonate into the water. Dolamite which is used for Saltwater setups (at least it was what was used back when I dabbled in SW many years ago) will raise the ph. As will coral.

It is also curious that you are not getting any ammonia, nitite or nitrate readings. You have the prefered test kit, but one would think that you would start seeing some ammonia at the very least.

I'm not familiar with bio stars, but I wonder if you added something like SafeStart that cycled your tank.

Alessa

either bio-spira, tetra safe start... or the tank is uncycled it is weird that nothing is present... like they say: did you make sure to bang that #2 nitrate bottle? those crystals need to be really mixed well otherwise it will give you a false reading.

pepetj

Scorpio Girl: My guess is that your tank is already cycled (Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0), but you are having a false negative on nitrates, which has happened before to me, and not with API test -which is well covered in this forum, but with Marine Enterprises Inc Nitrate Test, which has four reagents, three of them liquids (A. B. and D.) and another one in crystals (C.).
What time of the day are you doing your pH readings? pH fluctuates according to the cycle of the day -lower at midnite, higher around noon time. But usually within a very short range. I endorse the idea that something is tampering your pH, likely through carbonates: Have you measured GH and KH?
Another possibility is that the change came from your water source, in case it is mixing water from different origins (e.g. City, wells). What are the parameters from your tap-water? If you want accurate measures, take a sample and let it rest in a shallow plate overnight and test in the morning.

7.2 is not that high, at least for the fish you have. My tanks pH range is 7.6 to 7.8 (midnite-noon).

Pepe
Santo Domingo

Scorpio_Girl

Hey, thanks for the suggestions. I've re-tested all the levels with someone elses test kit (except nitrates) and nothing has changed. Well, the ammonia looks to be a little darker, although I could be imagining it. I'm going to borrow my brothers nitrate kit tomorrow and see if I'm getting an accurate reading. I just checked the Ph again and it now at 7.6. I think it's time to visit the fish store and see if they can give me any other recommendations. The Ph was fine until I added fish and plants.

Lucy

Anytime you get an ammonia reading you shoild do an immediate water change.
Your fish can adapt to your PH, please don't let the fish store tell you that you need to add (buy) something to change it.

Alessa

Yes, please listen to shawnie. The fish stores rarely know what to do... if they ever know how to do something.

You need to test for nitrates, that would be the only way to know exactly whats going on.

And if you "felt" like you were getting ammonia, like shawnie said do a water change immediately.

Scorpio_Girl

Thanks for all of your advice! I have to admit I went to the fish store yesterday to seak additional advice. I told her what was going on with my tank and she said I could buy Ph lowering rocks, but asked if I could bring in a water sample, as my readings seemed unusual. I went back a little later with the sample and as it turns out my levels are normal. My ph is actually 6.8 and nitrates, nitrites, KH, GH and chlorine are all normal. Seems my ph test kit is "bad". All I purchased was a new ph test kit and 6 fish.

Thanks again!