Southerrrngirrl Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 Grrr.. not happy. Our new tank seems to have developed a crack in the glass at the back. So its going back to the shop, and hopefully being replaced. We've moved all the fish back to their original tiny tanks. We still had the tank (that we had the rainbow shark in) going, as it has live plants in it. Just before we put him in I tested the water and the results were interesting. the pH test water turned VERY blue, bluer than I've ever seen test water go before. So I did a high ph test and that went purple. I'm not all that familar with the high ph test, but compared to the little card it says the water is around 8.4??? When I removed the fish like a week ago the water tested neutral, around 6.8-7.0. How on earth has this happened? I haven't done anything else to the water, just took the fish out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 The PH in the tank would naturally be higher with just plants and no fish. But not 8+ high. I'd suggest you retest it first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 Just two things.. How old is the test kit.. and.. do you have anything in the way of ornaments or shells in your tank..? Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerrrngirrl Posted June 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 Kit is probably about a year old? there is an ornament plastic type one, no shells though. Can't retest it now, siphoned most of it out and replaced it with water from the bigger tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerrrngirrl Posted June 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 Have been keeping an eye on the tank and the pH has been climbing up again, tested at about 7.2 last night? I remembered that I had replaced one of the old filter cartridges with a new one out of the new tank we purchased (so I could introduce the bacteria into the new tank) - could this be the cause?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 I don't see how a new filter could change the pH of your water, unless its something different in your media, but I can't see that either...but those with more knowledge would be a better judge of that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 Can't see how the filter cartridge would affect pH. Just reasonably big fish and few plants will change the pH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerrrngirrl Posted June 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 Thats what I thought too. The plants have been in there for months, as has everything else. Apart from the new filters of course. But they are the same ones I've been using since I've had the tanks.. cannot understand it at all. The fish seems to be happy though, I am closely monitoring the pH, but really want to get the new tank set up for him as quickly as possible. Perhaps I should do daily water changes to keep the pH down?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted June 20, 2006 Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 Under the circumstances.. I would take a sample of your "tap" water to the LFS and let them check it. It "may" be that the pH is high directly from the source.. so you will be battling forever trying to stabilize it. Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerrrngirrl Posted June 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 I've tested it already.. ok well not lately. but last time I tested it (about a week ago) it was pretty neutral.. 6.8-7.0. Our tap water is from a tank that collects rain water so I guess its possible that something has got in the tank, but if that was the case, the water in the other tank would be high too, which its not. But I'll check just to make sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted June 20, 2006 Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 Tap water PH can change, particualry with all the rain we have had lately so I would check it again. Also are you sure you are putting in filter pads? It is possible to buy carbon pads now that look just like filters pads, but they are usually black, carbon shouldn't really change PH, but there might be other pads around now that could affect it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herefishiefishie Posted June 20, 2006 Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 Is the tank heavily airated? This could be the cause of your pH rising. You are expelling CO2 at the surface which will make the pH rise. Frenchy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerrrngirrl Posted June 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 Tested the tap water this morning it was 6.8-7.0 (as it normally is). I tested the other tank that has tetras in it, and it was higher too, around 7.2 The filters I have are the ones, that have the white stuff on top and inside it is white stones and the other is the same but with black stones (I assume thats the carbon one). I did some shifting around of filter media between three tanks (to try to introduce some bacteria to the new tank). Thats the only thing that I have changed in the tanks. I don't know if the tank is heavily aerated.. its just a normal AR380 setup. My water is quite soft, and someone said that because its soft its prone to pH changes?? Maybe thats whats happening? I've just never seen it do this before.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted June 20, 2006 Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 Are you testing at the same time of day? If your water is very soft there wont be any buffer for the PH so it will swing a lot during the day. Althrough it stilll seems like a big swing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herefishiefishie Posted June 20, 2006 Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 If your water is soft it would be more prone to dropping. What is the carbonate & general hardness of the water? {gh, kh} Frenchy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerrrngirrl Posted June 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 Haven't tested gh & kh (didn't have time this morning) planning on doing it tonight. I've tested the water at night and morning it still seems to be the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerrrngirrl Posted June 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 new tank is all up and running now, have added the fish and again the pH is going up.. It's at about 7.0 last night, tested last week at about 6.8. No ammonia, 5.0ppm or less of nitrate, no nitrites, haven't done kh & gh yet, will do that tonight. Should I really be worrying about this? If the ph can stay at 7.0 well then thats the perfect ph for a community tank right?? Fish are incredibly active, eating well and behaving normally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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