hamstermann

I currently have a pH of 8.4 in my tanks with airstones (2 in my 55 gal), biospira, and Stress Coat being used. I need to bring the ph down, but I also need to add salt to make the mollys happy and probably iron to make the plants happy. Water is very hard here in Utah. How can I balance all these things that will affect ph? Also, when I get time, I'll be adding a home - made CO2 kit. Any ideas?

Gunnie

I wouldn't worry about the ph too much as long as your fish seem okay. Most fish acclimate just fine to a higher ph. I think the CO2 will lower it. Dino and Butterfly could tell you more about that.

inari

The CO2 set up (depending upon how much u add) should bring it down alot. Now keep in mind that pH isn't THE MOST IMPORTANT SPEC but it does have it's importance. Make sure that it doesn't get out of control otherwise you'll wake up to a dead tank. How hard is your water over there in Utah?? also something to consider when you are talkling about pH. Good luck

~Inari

Butterfly

Stable Ph is more important than what your Ph is. A fluctuating Ph will stress your fish and they will die.
As I understand it CO2 will lower your ph but you have to be careful and keep it constant or your Ph will fluctuate wildly. Do you have a heavily planted tank?
Carol

hamstermann

Not very heavily. I've got hornwort, moneywort, Java Moss, Guppy Grass, microsword, African sword, and Anacharis, but they're all just little still. And it's in a 55 gallon tank. My test strips had the darkest color they could for hardness when I tested the water, but I don't remember the numbers on it. I'll let you know when my API Master kit arrives in the mail in a couple of days.

It looks like it may be a week or two before I can do a workable CO2 system anyway because I have to wait until the next paycheck to get the powerhead I need to diffuse the CO2.

Butterfly

Keep us posted
Carol

inari

One thing to add onto Butterfly, if your pH is rediculioudly high, you can wipe out ur entire tank. Trust me it happened to me. I had a very well off tank, 1 bn, 5 cories, 1 bamboo shrimp, 1 oto and I moved accross campus and BAM up goes my pH so just be ware of that.

~inari

Butterfly

Usually if fish are acclimated slowly to a differing Ph they will be alright
Inari- the Ph was that different from one side of the campus to the other? WOW!!!
Carol

inari

yeah it was it was about a 2.0 difference and the hardness was rediculous

~Iinari

hamstermann

55 Gal:
Ph: 7.9
Ammo: 0
nitrite:.5
nitrate:10

10 gal:
Ph: 8.2
Ammo: .25
Nitrite: 0
NitrAte: 10

So there's the readings. Why is there no nitrate in the 10 gal when there are clearly ammonia and Nitrates? That's just weird.

inari

It really depends on the age of your cycle the olders tend to have no ammonias,or nitrites. But younger ones tend to have higher ammonias, and nitrates. If i'm worng let me know tho. Anyway are your two tanks identical. If so then I don't know why your specs are so different. Good luck!!!

~Inari

hamstermann

they're not identical. the 10 gallon has a smaller variety of plants and fish. We only have 2 goldfish and 3 otos in there.

The 55 is more varied with plants and fish.

Luniyn

If you have live plants in your 10 Gal then they could be "eating" all of the nitrite that is being produced. Another option is did you use any Prime or Amquel+ in that tank ever? If you did then you will get longer then normal readings for ammonia because the bound up ammonia takes a little longer for the good bacteria to eat then regular ammonia (at least that's what I've noticed along with a few others on this forum in our tanks).

vin

Luniyn reminded me that airstones will artificially raise your pH...Try removing one of them and see what happens. It may be enough to lower the pH....Maybe try removing both and see what happens. If you have a good filter it should aerate your water enough.

Butterfly

ok I have to ask .... why will airstones artificially raise the Ph? just curious
Carol

Luniyn

The same way plants will change your pH with their Day/Night cycles. When they take in CO2 and release oxygen the pH goes up. At night when they switch to taking in oxygen and letting out out CO2 the pH goes down. Aeration in a tank 'can' have the same effect by increasing the ratio of oxygen to CO2 causing a rise in pH. Doesn't happen all the time, and depends on the amount of water in your tank and the number of air stones, bubble walls, etc. you have, but it can have an effect.

Butterfly

Thank You, never heard that about airstones or plants, have lots of plants and air stones or bubblers in most tanks and never have seen a change in Ph. Interesting.
carol

inari

Questtion: Why in the world would a plant (I'm assuming green) release a nutrient that it needs for photosynthesis??

vin

All plants are air purifiers....All take in oxygen and release Co2...

Butterfly

I believe thats backwards- they take in CO2 and release oxygen.
Carol

inari

Thank you butterfly that makes much more sense

Luniyn

Actually it depends on if it's day or night . There is an article here on FishLore that talks all about this (which is probably one of the places I read about it in the first place ) It's called "pH : To be or not to be considered?"

inari

I'm sorry that just seems to go plain against Biology and Photosynthesis

Luniyn

Nah... think about it. What is the most important part to Photosynthesis? The sun. There isn't a sun at night, so no photosynthesis can occur. If no photosynthesis then the plant can't convert CO2 to O2. So the plant goes into a different phase of it's cycle in which it has to use the only thing available to it in abundance during the night (O2) in order to convert sugars into energy. A by-product of that is CO2 and since it can't use that during this phase to help with the process, it has to get rid of it.

vin

Whoops! You're right. I typed it so fast I mixed it up.

inari

maybe so but the amount of CO2 is going to be signigcantly less than the amount of O2 that they release and even at night they still process some CO2!!!

armadillo

Am having to back you up here. They release CO2 at night. That's why they are removed from hospital rooms at night.

Buuuut. Airstones are not always a good thing? Is any treat I give my fish ever without danger? Argh!

Luniyn

Here read this very well written article about plants at night, it should clear up a lot of questions