ph leval

[cliffy]

Hi just had a ph problem cause maybe not enough water conditioner hey one shop said get a ph down adjuster but just been to another shop and they said just put more conditioner in instead of ph level .

I just lost one lemon tetra .

[BigBossPants]

Conditioner doesnt usually affect pH levels... How big a water change did you do? What is the pH level at now, and what was it before?

The problem with using pH adjusting chemicals is they can cause the pH to swing quickly, which is more dangerous than having a pH thats slightly out.

[henward]

most fish will tolerate a good range of PH, africans exception, maybe discus too

but i wouldnt worry about conditioners. do small water changes.

i am sure its more the temp change that killed your tetra as opposed to a slight ph change

[Southerrrngirrl]

Conditioner doesnt usually affect pH levels... How big a water change did you do? What is the pH level at now, and what was it before?

Actually I've recently found that it might. I've experimented with water out of the tap. It comes out of my tap around 6.8-7.0 then I add API water conditioner and the test water noticeably changes from a slight green to a more blue colour, indicating that the pH is rising..

To the OP, you haven't stated what the problem with your pH is. I assume by the advice given by a shop that your pH is too high?? How high is it?

A few more details about the tank might be handy too, such as how long has it been running, what size, what its stocked with etc?

[Zayne]

Re: ph leval - Level

[David R]

Re: ph leval - Level

And while we're picking on peoples spelling, you'd better read this as you seem to say alot a lot......

OP; can you please define "pH problem"? And I'd love to know which shop suggested it was caused by "not enough conditioner" because, unless you're topping up a tang/malawi tank with rainwater and are using some sort of packet-buffer to make the water harder, it sounds like a sales pitch for something you don't really need...

[cliffy]

my ph is 8 my temp is always 26 degree I do water change once a week taking 20 litres out each tank and i put 5 ml api conditioner and 5 ml cycle. I have 20 tetras in there but what i did was put my new fluval plus 2 filter in i took one media sponge from my other thank and put in the new filter . I just been to fish shop he told me have the fluval plus 2 filter blower half out and half in the water on hi as it gives more oxigen is that a good idea.

Ps just lost 6 lemon tetras.

[David R]

I don't know the exact dosage rates for the products you're using, but they seem overkill. I dose my 220L barrel with 5ml of Prime, and even then often add another 1/3 of water straight out of the tap when doing water changes. You might want to look into changing from the API conditioner to Seachem Prime, it might be a bit more expensive but you only would need to use 1/10th as much. And there is no reason to use cycle with every water change if your tank is well established.

As for the pH, yeah its a bit high for tetras, you could try adding some peat to your filter to help soften it. Do you have any driftwood in the tank? And is there anything like shell or limestone in the tank that could be making it so high? Another option that would be fairly cheap and easy with the small volumes of water you're changing is catching rainwater to use for the water changes.

[Joshlikesfish]

What is your ammonia level?

What do the corpses look like?

Don't bother using pH changing chemicals. Disaster in a bottle

[Caryl]

What do you define as a "pH problem"?

[cliffy]

Hi Caryl I lost a lemon tetra this morning and I went to lfs and took some water sample In they said everything Is ok accept the ph was 8 not 7 anyway I was out today and came home and 6 more were dead and they said It was due to lack of oxygen so I was told to raise up the fluval plus 2 filter spout half out and half in the water to give more oxygen and have the water flow on high.

[David R]

How long have the tetras been in the tank? Unless your pH spiked from <7 to 8 in a matter of minutes, or you rapidly acclimatised them from a tank with lower pH into your tank at 8 then that won't be whats killed them.

[cliffy]

Hi David the tetras been in there for 3 weeks and set the tank up 6 weeks ago but what I did Is put a new fluval plus 2 filter In last night and was told that may of killed them lake of oxygen with change of filter but what I did David I took one old sponge sponge of the oher filter and put it in the new one .

[David R]

Putting a new filter on won't change anything, unless you've taken another filter off?

[cliffy]

That's what I did David I took the juwel bioflow mini filter out and put In a fluval plus 2 filter .

Just lost another lemon too.

[the-obstacle]

Ahh, that's why we said run both for as long as you can. Chuck the old one back in there now and run them both for a few weeks at least. Hopefully that saves the day. Basically you've taken the good bacteria out and transfered a little bit of it to the new filter while expecting the new filter to colonise and be able to handle the bio load instantly.

If you put the jewel back in there now you should find that it all comes right again as long as the media in the jewel hasn't been dry for too long (or washed in tap water).

[cliffy]

Yes It's been out since last night but I have not rinsed It though.

gees this is the first time I have stuffed it Up like this.

[the-obstacle]

let us know how it goes. Do a big water change at the same time as chances are your ammonia has just gone through the roof.

Where in Auckland are you? If you're worried about the ones you have left I'm sure there are people nearby that will babysit them for you.

[cliffy]

No It's not the amonia is 0 and nitrates It's just my ph Is 8 I was told at the lfs Is was to do with lake of oxygen.

I live in New windsor

[malevolentsparkle]

i don't see how the lfs can tell what your oxygen level is from a water sample....

[the-obstacle]

I've never heard of oxygen levels changing ph but that doesn't mean it's not true. I have made my ph go through the roof by overfeeding in my uncycled tank with a new filter though - but that was making it acidic so going the other way.

[cliffy]

I might of done that by mistake obstacle I did feed them last night.

[cliffy]

How long should I leave the juwel filter In there for.

[Windsparrow]

Leave it in there for a couple of weeks, or a month if you're uncertain. Oxygen is usually fine in your tank unless it's overstocked, albeit I'm sure your levels should be fine if there was water movement on the surface. Ph problems might fluctuate depending on your tap water, it could be high from the tap, but drop down after some time.

Did the LFS show you or tell you what your Ammonia and Nitrite levels were?

Edit: DavidR, link was good laughs.

[alanmin4304]

I doubt it would have a great effect but water has a greater affinity for O2 than CO2 so high oxygen will drive off CO2 and drop the pH. Airation can be used to remove iron from drinking water if it is held in the ferrous (soluble) state by high CO2 as the removal of the CO2 will convert the iron to ferric (insoluble) and it can be settled out.