flyin-lowe

My stock list in my profile is current. Every since I set this tank up the pH has been around 8.2-8.4. I have tested it several times since I set the tank up last October and it is always the same. I always assumed that the tap water I am using had a high pH. Just for fun I tested it today and it tested around 7.2. I did not bubble it for 24 hours I just tested it from the tap. Next time i get a chance to do this I will. I am just curious if there is a reason my tank pH stays so much higher the the water source. Besides the fish and plants listed there is a small piece of driftwood in the tank as well.
Also once I aerate some water for 24 hours and test it is there usually that big of a jump? Would it test 7.2 from the tap and then go to 8.4 overnight or should I be looking for something else?

Prince Powder

Odd. Driftwood usually LOWERS pH. Do you use crushed coral or shells in your tank. I know they raise pH. It would be interesting to see some answers from those in the know on this one.

Furallicah

Are you ammonia levels high?

Shawnie

do a quick test on ammonia/nitrites/nitrates/..could be a mini cycle has snuck up maybe? any decorations ? what subtrate are you using? any plant ferts you might be using? check the lot # of the ph tester you are using.....there shouldnt be that big of a jump even if letting water sit out overnight...thats a huge difference!

Nutter

That is quite a jump. It could in part be from off gassing of co2 from the tap water but I doubt it would be solely responsible fort hat big a jump. Do the tests that Shawnie mentioned as that is a definite possibility. What kind of substrate do you have in the tank?

flyin-lowe

A little history. The tank is at my grandmothers house. I started it in October 09. I started a fish in cycle with 4 black skirt tetras and two white skirt tetras. The substrate is regular aquarium gravel. There are about three fake plants and 1 piece of driftwood and one ornamental rock/castle that she picked out. There is one medium sized amazon sword, two java ferns, and two anubias. The fish in cycle was going slow so I added a few more fish and successfully cycled with TSS in late November. Every since the water has tested 0,0,10-20. I test it at least once a week. The filter is an AC 110. I was running sponge, carbon, and the ceramic rings. The last time I cleaned the filter (old tank water) I ditched the carbon and added another section of sponge in its place. The pH has always been pretty constant at around 8.2 since last October. I always assumed that the tap water was that high because I didn't think I had done anything that would raise pH. I decided today to test the tap water straight from the tap and it was close between 7.2 and 7.4 ( I think that are the two ranges on the API card). The only thing I add to the water is Prime which I dose the tank when I do a water change. I use a Python so I dose for the entire tank to remove chlorine. I also used one Flourish fert tab under the amazon last December. The box says this product will not affect pH but I don't know that for a fact. I have had two or three fish die since Oct. and I have to take water samples to the LFS for an exchange and they have always tested fine for them as well. They don't test pH just ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Ill try to attach a pic but its really just a pretty simple community tank that I have set up for her and my grandfather to enjoy. I do all the maintainence so I tried to make it as trouble free as possible. This pic was taken before I added a small piece of wood that has the two java ferns tied to it. This was when the tetras were the only fish.

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bubblefish

I can't see it clearly enough but does that rock/castle ornament have little bushy plastic plants attached to it? If so, it's the same ornament that I had a while back and it raised my ph.

I had tested my tap ph and it was 7. With the ornament, it went up to 8.2. I got rid of it and everything went back to normal. Not sure if that's what is happening for you?

Did you just add it recently?

click

Are you using an airstone? Air bubbles help in expelling CO2 from the water and as a result your Ph increases.

Nutter

Two possibilities come to mind. Either the substrate material is leaching something into the water or the castle thingy may not be properly sealed & is leaching something.

Try getting a large cup of tap water & testing the PH immediatley. Let the water stand in the container for 24hrs & then test the PH agian. See if there's any difference. If there's little or no difference in the PH, add a handfull of the substrte material. Leave it to stand for another 24-48hrs & test the PH again. If there's still little or no difference, get a container large enough to submerge the entire castle in. Fill that with water & allow to stand for 24hrs. Test the PH of the water & then place the castle in that container. Leave it to stand 24-48hrs then test the PH again.

I'm betting that by following those steps you will be able to work out what it is that is raising the PH in the tank. Keep in mind that each thing may make a small difference & that the effect of all those things combined could make up for the large differnce you are seeing in the tank.

flyin-lowe

There is an air stone going and the rock ornament has been in since day one. I will try those test and see what happens.

click

Nutter came with a great plan. You should be able to pinpoint the culprit by following those guidelines.

Nate McFin

Aquarium gravel shouldnt be responsible. The only type of gravel that should lower PH is soil (due to decomp) I agree it may well be the castle. the driftwood depending on the type of wood may be starting to break down as well. Do you know whgat type of wood it is? Is it a hardwood like manzanita or mopani? If it is a softwood this may be the problem.

Ditching the carbon could cause a mini cycle as once it is used up as a filter it has a rather large amount of surface space for bacteria to colonize. By removing the carbon you could see a mini cycle but this would seems it would show nitrites or ammonia.
The other thing that comes to mind for me is nitric acid. When Ph reaches a certain level it will turn nitrates and trites into nitric acid. This is normal in older aquariums but can turn sour quickly as the PH drops lower and lower as it will speed up the process. This is refered to as old tank syndrome. This is my guess. Old tank doesnt necessarily mean the tank has to be old...other factors like maintenance might cause this. Also, insufficient water movement to create proper oxygen levels where the bacteria reside can also cause this. Beneficial bacteria like alot of oxygen to work their magic ( the carbon in the filter may have been where this was happening) IS filter flow good enough through the tank?
http://www.algone.com/old_tank_syndrome.php

bubblefish

For me, the castle wasn't a problem right away. I think that the paint or sealant wore away or something.

Nutter

The PH is going up Nate, not down. Guess you misread that one.

Substrates are one of the biggest culprits of mystery PH changes, especially PH rises. The carbon should make no difference if it's been changed regularly. If it was the carbon & it was being changed regularly, this problem would have been fluctuating PH as it would happen every time the carbon was changed. Also as Nate pointed out, this would make the PH drop, not rise.

The gravel is my number one suspect. It's likely to have some calcerous material in it like limestone or some shell. I know it's coated but the coating can wear away & get chipped etc & cause this problem. The material those decorations are made out of is often calcerous to so if it isn't properly sealed the PH can rise.

Nate McFin

Thanks Nutter, I guess I did misread it. LOL Note to self...more coffee before posting in the morning.

Nutter

I can relate to that. I usually mess up my first couple of posts until I've had at leat 3. I can't function without it. I guess that's what happens when you drink 3-4lts of iced coffee everyday.