What’s causing my pH issues?

I have a 5.5 gallon tank with a young betta in it. He’s the only thing in that tank. I keep having issues with the pH becoming way to acidic, testing at around 6. I am slowly correcting it with baking soda, only changing it 0.2 every few hours but I want to find the cause. My tap water is around 6.8-7.2. It was around 7 yesterday morning, 24hr later, at 6.

I have spider wood and dragon stone, sand, live plants, Indian almond leaves and that’s it.

 

Think you've extreme soft water what is causing Ph swings

 

Think you've extreme soft water what is causing Ph swings

I do have soft water, but I haven’t had this issue in any of my other tanks. They all match the tap water pH.

 

Do you know Kh/Gh.
A bit strange indeed

 

Do you know Kh/Gh.
A bit strange indeed

I don’t have the exact amounts. I haven’t tested my water for that. I just know it’s generally soft since you can look up parameters on your city water but they don’t specify Kh/Gh. I also don’t think that’s what’s causing it. I have two other tanks and have had no other pH issues them them

 

Honestly just let it be. Unless you notice stress from the fish stop chasing numbers. Between my 4 tanks the pH is different between them all since I use different substrate and some have drift wood others don't etc. But all fish hailing from South America to Asia are doing fine. It's not their native countries pH but what about the water they were bred in? The best thing you can do is keep it consistent. If you buffer it to 7.5 and it drops to 6.5 and stays there for a week but your fish show no signs of stress leave it alone because all the bouncing of pH will do more harm. Just look for stress if you don't notice any you're fine and can stop dumping money down the drain. Because whatever you have buffering your water down is gonna continue to do so unless you completely overhaul your tank to make sure you're rid of it when you possibly could've just sat back and enjoyed your pet.

 

the thing I’m worried about it it actually dropping below 6. Since 6 is the low range, I have no way of telling if it’s actually at 6, or lower. I know that below 6, BB can start to die as well as plants. Could it be the dragon stone perhaps?

 

the thing I’m worried about it it actually dropping below 6. Since 6 is the low range, I have no way of telling if it’s actually at 6, or lower. I know that below 6, BB can start to die as well as plants. Could it be the dragon stone perhaps?

6 is not that low.

BB can still function at 6 or lower.
Plants prefer slightly acidic water, 6 is well within their range.
It's not the dragonstone.


It's most likely dirftwood + almond leaves lowering it, and inaccuracy of hobby grade testing kits.

I would leave it as is.

Good read:

Is pH important in a planted aquarium ?

 

6 is not that low.

BB can still function at 6 or lower.
Plants prefer slightly acidic water, 6 is well within their range.
It's not the dragonstone.


It's most likely dirftwood + almond leaves lowering it, and inaccuracy of hobby grade testing kits.

I would leave it as is.

Good read:

Is pH important in a planted aquarium ?

I guess my question is how do I actually know it’s at 6 if 6 wont be an issue. Since there is no low range test in my kit I guess my worry is it’s not actually at 6, more like 5.5.

 

6 is not that low.

BB can still function at 6 or lower.
Plants prefer slightly acidic water, 6 is well within their range.
It's not the dragonstone.


It's most likely dirftwood + almond leaves lowering it, and inaccuracy of hobby grade testing kits.

I would leave it as is.

Good read:

Is pH important in a planted aquarium ?

I agree with the dragon stone not doing it I had three pretty big pieces no issue excerpt my Oscar abused itself on them. No change in pH though and currently using them in a nano tank for shrimp since I dropped 80 bucks for them lol.

 

I agree with the dragon stone not doing it I had three pretty big pieces no issue excerpt my Oscar abused itself on them. No change in pH though and currently using them in a nano tank for shrimp since I dropped 80 bucks for them lol.

I guess my only thought was it is lower quality dragon stone. Idk I got it from petco. I might just soak an extra piece in a bucket and see what the pH reads just to be sure. May be a waste of time but it can’t do any harm.

it’s possible it’s just the city water. I’m normally done even live in the city I’m in right now. I recently had to move due to COVID and will be leaving again in September (thank god. This tap water is treated with ammonia and Chloramine as well, I’m not a fan. Made a fish-in cycle a mess).

what signs would I look for if it was affecting them? Additionally, is there anything to naturally buffer the ph? Like how driftwood can lower it?

 

Hello, I recently had a similar issue and was advised that Bettas do better with a pH closer to 7
I was able to add crushed coral to my tanks filter to raise and stabilize the pH to about 6.8-7. I have extremely soft water and the pH out of my tap is about 7 but over 24 it drops to 6 or lower without the crushed coral to help stabilize.

 

Hello, I recently had a similar issue and was advised that Bettas do better with a pH closer to 7
I was able to add crushed coral to my tanks filter to raise and stabilize the pH to about 6.8-7

Thanks, if I continue having the issue I’ll give it a try. Did it change the pH slowly or quickly? And does it stay constant now or does it fluctuate a lot?

 

Are you testing constantly at 6? or has this change happened fast? I 'think' wood can cause the ph to gradually lower, although i may be wrong. But there are other things you might be able to add to gradually increase, like crushed coral or aragonite sand. Im currently using aragonite in a shrimp/snail tank because my ph dropped in this one tank as well.

I know that over time, your ph will decrease, for many reasons. in my tanks i believe its from the plants using the nutrients, and my water source not replenishing quickly enough.

 

Thanks, if I continue having the issue I’ll give it a try. Did it change the pH slowly or quickly? And does it stay constant now or does it fluctuate a lot?

It raises the pH over about 24 hours so it’s not too stressful for the fish. I would add a little at a time ( 1/2 tablespoon maybe) and wait a day or so in between adding more so you don’t accidentally change the pH too fast or overshoot and end up with it to high! Hope this helps

 

Thanks!

I do test fairly often for pH since I have 2 newly cycled tanks and one going through a mini cycle due to a substrate change. After a water change I read around 6.8 since this is my tap water and after a day or so it’s dropped to 6 or below (unsure since low is 6). Wood can cause it but if you take a look at the photo of the tank there are only the equivalent of 2 sticks in this tank. I’ve kept a large peice of spiderwood before and found no dramatic pH change, so I doubt the wood is doing it this fast.

 

Is one tank fed more than the others? And/or does it receive fewer water changes?

 

Is one tank fed more than the others? And/or does it receive fewer water changes?

Well I definitely feed more to my 16g but that’s cuz it was way way more fish then the 5 or the divided 20g betta tank. Water changes are pretty much the same. I’ve been doing more on the two betta tanks since they are newer and just finished cycling. The 16g is well established and gets water change weekly or every other week.

 

I don’t have the exact amounts. I haven’t tested my water for that. I just know it’s generally soft since you can look up parameters on your city water but they don’t specify Kh/Gh. I also don’t think that’s what’s causing it. I have two other tanks and have had no other pH issues them them

Same driftwood and IAL in there ?

 

Same driftwood and IAL in there ?

The 16 has no driftwood atm, the 5.5 (the one with issues) just has spiderwood and my 20 has spiderwood and fluval wood which I believe is Mopani driftwood.

 

In extremely soft water things as driftwood (leaking tannins) and Indian Almond could.lead to Ph swings cause there is no buffering taking place. The slightest trace of "acid" can cause a drop.

The circumstances in the other tanks can be slightly different not showing this.

 

In extremely soft water things as driftwood (leaking tannins) and Indian Almond could.lead to Ph swings cause there is no buffering taking place. The slightest trace of "acid" can cause a drop.

The circumstances in the other tanks can be slightly different not showing this.

Would it be better to remove them? I know the tannins benefit the betta especially since they are not mature or fully grown yet.

 

Would it be better to remove them? I know the tannins benefit the betta especially since they are not mature or fully grown yet.

No, I wouldn't because there is nothing wrong with a low pH in planted betta tank.

 

Would it be better to remove them? I know the tannins benefit the betta especially since they are not mature or fully grown yet.

If you are worried I would keep the drift wood and add the coral in a small quantity.

 

No, I wouldn't because there is nothing wrong with a low pH in planted betta tank.

I agree there is nothing wrong with a low Ph but there aren't a lot of fish that like swings in such a short period of time.

Personally I'd try to raise the Kh/Gh a bit.

 

I agree there is nothing wrong with a low Ph but there aren't a lot of fish that like swings in such a short period of time.

Personally I'd try to raise the Kh/Gh a bit.

How would I raise the Kh and Gh? I’m not too familiar on them besides testing water harness in gen chem lab a while back

 

Crushed coral or rocks that contain calcium I think are best / natural.

 

I agree there is nothing wrong with a low Ph but there aren't a lot of fish that like swings in such a short period of time.

Personally I'd try to raise the Kh/Gh a bit.

Yes but OP's tapwater is ~ neutral and soft, not a lot of minerals are being added or taken away from a water change and thus it shouldn't hurt livestock, it's simply tannins from wood / almond leaves slowly leaching out humic acid, nothing to worry about in terms of pH swinging in my opinion.

I would rather see OP go with more. smaller water changes per week if they are really worried about pH changing.

 

Yes but OP's tapwater is ~ neutral and soft, not a lot of minerals are being added or taken away from a water change and thus it shouldn't hurt livestock, it's simply tannins from wood / almond leaves slowly leaching out humic acid, nothing to worry about in terms of pH swinging in my opinion.

I would rather see OP go with more. smaller water changes per week if they are really worried about pH changing.

Don't exactly understand what you mean but okay.

 

Don't exactly understand what you mean but okay.

I can’t exactly reduce water changes. I do enough to remove nitrate and control spikes in a mini cycle one tank is going through right now. Reducing the amount of water I’m changing would only cause a buildup on nitrate or make it so I can’t remove nitrite when I get a spike. I would rather find a long term way to buffer it so when I do a water change it stays at the pH of my tap water and doesn’t change at all once the wood and IAL release tannins

 

If you're really needing to raise it, I'd go with crushed coral or aragonite sand, either will slowly dissolve the calcium and minerals and raise the ph, (however, also kh/GH)
I'd start with small amounts in a small container, so if you find it's too high, you can remove some or all if you need.

 

I can’t exactly reduce water changes. I do enough to remove nitrate and control spikes in a mini cycle one tank is going through right now. Reducing the amount of water I’m changing would only cause a buildup on nitrate or make it so I can’t remove nitrite when I get a spike. I would rather find a long term way to buffer it so when I do a water change it stays at the pH of my tap water and doesn’t change at all once the wood and IAL release tannins

It's not the pH that harms livestock, it's the KH / osmotic pressure changes that harms them. pH is simply a reflection of the KH of your water.

Soft water means low KH, which means lower pH and a pH that is changed easier. Your tap and tank water will have low KH, which allows the tannins from the leaves and wood to drop it easier (this is safe and perfectly fine).

Because your tapwater likely doesn't have a lot of minerals in it, you aren't changing KH or osmotic pressure when performing a water change which means you aren't harming livestock.

If you are still worried about the swing in pH, perform more (but smaller) water changes per week to maintain your desired water parameters. I am not saying less water changed.