Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => Fishtank Filtration and Cycling => Topic started by: AircooledDude on February 08, 2016, 11:33:39 AM

Title: High ph levels
Post by: AircooledDude on February 08, 2016, 11:33:39 AM

Hi all,

I have had my tank for just over 2 months and have just tested my water with the API test kit. Levels are:

Nitrate - 0
Nitrit - 0
Ammonia - very near 0
Ph - 7.8

I'm really pleased with everything but my ph is high. I have 6 neon tetras, a betta (soon to be moving to his own tank), 6 harlequins, a zebra snail and 3 shrimps.

I'm aware neons need ph of 7 or less. All fish appear happy and healthy but does anybody have any advice in this situation please?

Oh, and I have two live plants, three plastic plants, a silk plant, gravel substrate, a resin log and resin rock. I am running a Fluval u2 and the tank is 64l.


Thanks,

Matt.

Title: Re: High ph levels
Post by: Sue on February 08, 2016, 11:41:36 AM

The first thing to ask is how hard is your tap water? You can usually find this on your water supplier's website. If it's there it could be in any of several units - we need to know the units as well as the number.
The units you find on fishkeeping sites are german degrees and ppm CaCO₃ (just called ppm). Water company sites also use degrees Clarke, degrees French, ppm Ca and ppm CaO. Quite a number as you can see.

Hardness is more important for fish than pH. It is quite possible to have a pH of 7.5 with a GH (general hardness) of 5 german degrees, aka moderately soft - that's my water. Neons should be fine in softish water even with a pH like yours.
Seriously Fish gives neons parameters as pH 4.0 to 7.5 and hardness 18 to 215ppm CaCO₃ (which converts to 1 to 12 german deg)

Provided your tapwater is below 12 german deg/215 ppm CaCO₃ your neons will be fine.

Title: Re: High ph levels
Post by: Skittler on February 08, 2016, 12:03:42 PM

Hello Matt,

I have kept neons happily since I returned to the hobby about 15 months ago. My pH is always 7.6 - 7.8 on the API tester. Like Sue, I have ridiculously soft tap water (although pH 7.6), and have increased the hardness to GH 6 German degrees. The neons are thriving.

                                                               Skittler

Title: Re: High ph levels
Post by: AircooledDude on February 08, 2016, 12:08:56 PM

Thanks guys. Here we go:

Calcium 16
Calcium carbonate 39
Degrees Clark 2.73
Degrees German 2.18
Degrees French 3.9

Based on your responses the water is fine I think?!

I was never very good at science!

Title: Re: High ph levels
Post by: Sue on February 08, 2016, 12:14:38 PM

You have soft water. It will be fine for neons. And almost everything except livebearers and Rift Lake cichlids.

Fish evolve to live in certain types of water. Soft water fish can't excrete calcium the way hard water fish can so if soft water fish are kept in hard water it builds up in their kidneys and slowly kills them. This is why hardness is important.

Title: Re: High ph levels
Post by: AircooledDude on February 08, 2016, 12:23:11 PM

Thank guys - panic over!!!  :) :) :)