Very low ph out of the tap.

I have a 45 gallon freshwater gold tank with three live plants. The problem is that I live in a rural area and we have a cistern for water which is rain water. My buffering capacity is 80 ppm, gh is 35 ppm, and the ph is 6.2. So my question is I am using a ph increaser to increase my ph level to around 7.2 but I am afraid with the low buffering capacity and gh that it will just drop off. What can I use to raise my kh to proper level or is there something else that I should be doing?

Thank you Nate

 

Well, a pH of 6.2 isn't that bad at all. Yes, it is quite low, but it isn't"terribly" bad. Most freshwater fish will adapt to a pH that is lower or higher than the one they'd normally have in nature. The most important thing is to acclimatize the new fish properly into your tank. Trying to alter the pH all the time will create pH fluctuations. And pH fluctuations are more dangerous to fish health than is a lower or higher - BUT STABLE - pH. It's always important to have a stable pH. You can keep the pH stable by performing regular water changes - and, preferably, water changes that are smaller but more frequent, rather than rare and large ones.

By the way, welcome to Fish Lore

 

Thank you for your information,

So to get the ph in the tank down to where it is in the tap should I just perform regular water changes or will this take the ph down to much to fast?

Thank You Nate

 

If you perform smaller but more frequent water changes, it will bring your pH to a stable level gradually - and this way, it should not be harmful to fish. But if you perform large and rare water changes, the pH changes could be too sudden, and thus could be harmful to fish. So, instead of performing, say, 50% water changes every two weeks, perform 25% water changes once a week - just an example.

Remember to keep performing these water changes regularly - keep to your schedule. And perform a thorough gravel vac with each water change. If you don't do this, the accumulating wastes in the gravel will lower your pH and they will raise your nitrate. Suppose you don't vacuum your gravel for a long time, and forget to perform water changes for a while, once you do perform that water change, it can cause a large pH change because the new water will have a very different pH from your tank water (because that tank water is full of nitrate and it has a low pH as a result of not enough gravel vacs and regular water changes).

 

I live in the city and my PH has always been low. I mean the lowest on the chart that detects PH. I first started with baking soda and then I spoke with a marine biologist about this same problem. He told me there are no precise amounts to use,but to add crushed coral into the gravel bed or the back of the filter.

I did this and what happened was my tank clouded up right after doing water changes because I guess I added to muchand I cleaned and rinsed the crushed coral for hours. I contacted him via email about this and he told me to get one of those bags that hold media in 3 inches by 8 inches and fill to 3/4 of the bag and rinse it out as much as you can. Then place it in the tank where no water changes would hit the bag. You won't see immediate results as it takes up to 3 weeks before a change is noticed.

He was really interested in the KH level more than the GH. If you want to talk with a marine biologist go to thatpetplace and they are there to help everybody. Off hand here I don't have the phone number because my buddy has my catalog. Give him a call and he'll tell you anything you need to know.

John

 

I think what you got was crushed coral with sand together. I just have crushed coral and it needed a little rinsing but it never clouded my water at all. Also I noticed a change in my ph immediately after adding the coral. But I used 10 lbs to 30 gallons. my ph went from 6.2 up to 7.3 in no time. Also the tank is brackish with salt that might have something to do with it. No there were not any fish in the tank when I added the coral and the ph jumped. The original gold freshwater tank that I mentioned first I did not add anything and just kept doing regular water changes. The ph went slowly back down to 6.2 and the fish are doing great no problems. So I have decided to leave that tank alone and not add buffer anymore.

 

I used Florida crushed Coral with Aragomite in it. Hope I spelled that right,lol. But I tell ya 1 thing it was a bugger to clean. Like I said above about the mesh bag, well I ended up just placing it in 1 of those cheap plastic corner filters. I never used the corner filter so it was no loss to me and now when I do the water changes I have no problem at all. So I buy a 15 lb. bag and luckily I used only about a handfull. Now this was for a 20 gallon tank so I am thinking about the 120 gallon but that's been good since day one and I'm just gonna leave it there. THe 55 flucuates now and then but not as much as it did.

My HOB filter looked like someone threw a 5 Lb. bag of flour into it,lol.. The cloudieness cleared up and so far no problems but it has maintained the PH that I wanted. I still have yet to even use the chart for high PH as this stays right at 7.2.. But I'll have to definetly check it out in the next week or two.

Did yours have the aragomite in it ?

John

 

No mine had no sand just coral. That's why your water clouded up, the aragomite is sand. Not sure on the spelling either.

 

Beetle I wish I would have known that Aragomite is sand. Now that finally makes sense. When I told the marine biologist the type I used, he said he uses it all the time in his salt water tanks for his substrate.

Thanks for the info on aragomite

John

 

The reason I know that is I bought it once, just the sand for salt water tank. Eventually it will clear but it seems to leave a residue on decorations. In a salt water tank they don't care because usually there are no plastic plants mostly just live rock or something like that. It is still the best way I have found to raise ph without chemicals.

 

The reason I know that is I bought it once, just the sand for salt water tank. Eventually it will clear but it seems to leave a residue on decorations. In a salt water tank they don't care because usually there are no plastic plants mostly just live rock or something like that. It is still the best way I have found to raise ph without chemicals.

Totally Agree