High Ph In Goldfish Tank, And How To Lower It?

So I just checked the ph in my tank, and it read over 8.0+ I couldn’t get a proper reading since the color it turned didn’t really match any of the colors on the chart. I just tested our tap water and it’s much lower than the water in my tank. Any ideas on what’s causing it to be so high? We use well water along with a water softener that uses potassium salt. All of my other parameters are good... but the ph remains 8.0+ it’s higher than 8.2-8.4 I think.

 

Maybe the stones? Where did you get them from? Sometimes when I collect the stones they raise the pH a lot when soaking. If that happens I don't use them.
Have you added anything recently?

 

Maybe the stones? Where did you get them from? Sometimes when I collect the stones they raise the pH a lot when soaking. If that happens I don't use them.
Have you added anything recently?

I got some of the stones from petsmart, a craft store, and I’ve had those black ones for a year now that I got from the Dollar store. I soaked the black ones for a long while to get anything off of them. And all the others have been boiled thoroughly, rinsed, and then re boiled before getting put into the tank. Only a few stones were ones I found myself. The bigger rocks are much more recent.

 

Actually, goldies can hold their own at 8.0 PH. Do you have driftwood? You don’t want to do anything to alter your PH TOO FAST. That’s worse than the 8.0.

 

Also, which water test are you using? My API Freshwater Master kit came with a regular ph and high ph tests. My ph is around 8.0 and the normal test doesn't go that high. My fish and snails do very well in the harder water, like goldiemom says, Goldfish are fine in water that is too high ph for some other kinds of fish.

 

Also, which water test are you using? My API Freshwater Master kit came with a regular ph and high ph tests. My ph is around 8.0 and the normal test doesn't go that high. My fish and snails do very well in the harder water, like goldiemom says, Goldfish are fine in water that is too high ph for some other kinds of fish.

. I usually use the high PH unless it looks like it is on the lightest. Then I may use the lower and retest. Very seldom has this happened.

 

pH sometimes rises as water sits, as gases dissolved in the water evaporate out. Leave a glass of water sitting out for a couple hours and test it then. If it's STILL much lower than the tank, you know something in the tank is raising pH; if not, you know that's just the normal pH of your tap once the water has rested.

 

Try adding some beneficial bacteria to the tank. This can be bought from your local pet store. The bacteria will help lower your ph levels. If this doesn't work, just change the water more.

 

My pH is ALWAYS over 8 and often near 9. My goldfish are fine in it. It comes from my tap that high and there's nothing I can do about it. As long as it is stable, 8 is absolutely fine. Ideal if you ask me.

 

My PH was around 9. I added lots of driftwood to the tank and turned off my aerator (it can up your PH too) and several hours later my PH went down to 8. Driftwood is a very good gentle (and pretty) balancer.

 

This option is risky. With buffered KH, attempts at lowering the pH can fail and cause it to dip or just swing around. I was unable to lower it and have it stay consistent. pH moving around is much worse than high pH. I would also have to do smaller WC because again, the pH is near 9 from the tap. I decided my best choice was to just buffer to keep it from falling and to leave it alone.

 

HI guys,
I am keeping a fan tail goldfish (now 2 but 1 is new as of yesterday) in a 29 gallon tank. I have well water so my Ph is high from the tap, about 7.6, but it's been going up to 8.0- 8.2 in the tank. I thought it was the fault of some teacups I was using for decoration but I ditched those 2 water changes ago and still have rising Ph. I put some peet moss in my filter to lower my Ph, and I've been monitoring it daily, but I just want it to stabilize, preferably at my 7.6 tap level so it stays consistent. The peet eventually brought it down too low last water change and I'm worried all the changes will stress my fish. I know goldfish like a high Ph but 8.2 seems too high, right? What's going on here and how do I fix it?

 

Goldfish are incredibly hardy, 8.2 won't bug them

 

Goldfish are incredibly hardy, 8.2 won't bug them

How high is too high? I stopped it at 8.2 but I don't know if it would continue going up?

 

For goldfish, 8.6 is really the absolute maximum to keep them in.

 

For goldfish, 8.6 is really the absolute maximum to keep them in.

Ok. I hope it won't go that high

 

Have you let your water sit for 24 hours before testing? The tap water, I mean. The pH might be swinging then and not caused by anything in your tank.

 

My dad had well water that had a ton of CO2 in it when it came out and the pH always rose robustly when it finally gassed out. Might be what is happening to you too. Goldfish are pretty much the only fish that he has successfully kept in that water... I think his pH was around 8.4 or 8.6.

 

my water is around 8.5 pH, goldfish doing very well.

messing around with the pH will stress the fish more.

 

my water is around 8.5 pH, goldfish doing very well.

messing around with the pH will stress the fish more.

I was worried about that, thank you

My dad had well water that had a ton of CO2 in it when it came out and the pH always rose robustly when it finally gassed out. Might be what is happening to you too. Goldfish are pretty much the only fish that he has successfully kept in that water... I think his pH was around 8.4 or 8.6.

I got goldfish because they were hardy little dudes. I'm glad I did.

Have you let your water sit for 24 hours before testing? The tap water, I mean. The pH might be swinging then and not caused by anything in your tank.

No, I will try that.

 

No, I will try that.

If that shows that the pH changes after the water sits, then you just want to let your water sit before using it for a water change. Then your pH will at least be stable.