missjerm

My pH level has been about 7.6 with the last 3 water tests that I've done. The guy at Petco who has been helping me says this is fine even though I keep reading that 7.0 is best for tropical fish. API says they make a pH reducer and I'm wondering if I should use this bring down my pH or should I just leave it alone if the fish seem to be doing allright.

Tom

What is the pH of the water you do the water changes with?
Tom

Isabella

As Atm has asked: What is the pH of the water that you use for your water changes? If you use tap water for water changes, what is its pH?

You say your tank pH is at 7.6. I assume you use Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test for pH that has a color chart with it. The highest value on that color chart is blue at 6.7, correct? It doesn't read beyond that. This is a normal range pH test. If you're testing your water at Petco, ask the guy to test it with the high-range pH test (also from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals). This is because when you have a pH of either 7.6 or 8.6 ... the normal-range pH test will only read its highest value, meaning 7.6. To know for sure if it is really 7.6, we should also test for high-range pH.

Anyway, if your pH really is at 7.6, there is no problem there. Most commercially-bred freshwater fish will adapt to a wider range of pH than the wild-caught fish. As long as your pH is stable, you're OK, even if your pH is a bit high. A stable pH is better as a fluctuating pH will make your fish sick. Using products that change your pH is not good because it will make your pH fluctuate, which - as I've just said - can make your fish sick.

capekate

The API master kit that I have has two bottles of PH tester. One is to check normal PH and the other is for High PH. They both have their own color chart. If Missjerm is using the API master kit she should have both bottles in her kit.
I agree also that a 7.6 is not a bad PH reading and a lot of fish are fine at that level. Main thing is not to play with your PH level through use of chemicals, its those up and down changes that will do more damage to the fish.
~ kate

M

I agree with the previous posts. The big question is what are you expecting to put into your tank? No matter what you put in, be sure to ask the LFS what their pH and temp of the tank you get your fish from so that you can acclimate them without stressing them. It might take longer, but you'll increase your odds of your fish living longer.
If it makes you feel any better, my tap water ranges between 7.8 and 8.0 and all of my fish are doing OK with a higher pH.

GOOD LUCK!!

-M

Rex Grigg

Remember it's really easy and inexpensive to make soft water harder and to raise pH.

And it's really expensive and hard to make hard water soft and lower the pH.

Never get into the the idea that you need some sort of MAGIC pH. Most fish in the hobby will do fine. There are exceptions, most of them involve breeding fish (which may need soft acidic water with a low TDS) or fish that need hard alkaline water with high TDS.

If your fish are fine then don't mess with it.

Many people think that by adding something to the water to lower the pH they will be fine. But they don't understand the basics of water chemistry and how buffers work. Nor do they understand about TDS (Total Dissolved Solids).

sirdarksol

Isabella, when you said "the highest value on that color chart is 6.7" did you mean "7.6?" That's what mine caps out at.

I agree that it's probably not a big deal. I worried about pH at one point, and don't any more. I just don't get any fish that require a low pH (I have really hard, basic water). Unless your water is really basic (and I suggest using the high range test just to be sure), your fish will likely adjust and be happy.

Isabella

Oops, yes, that's what I meant The Aquarium Pharmaceuticals normal pH test has a color chart where the highest pH value is 7.6 (dark blue). When I get a reading of 7.6 that makes me suspicious because if the pH is in fact higher than 7.6, I have no way of knowing that with the normal pH test. High range pH test measures pH beyond 7.6