# PH PH PH !!!!!!!



## ryans125g (Jul 18, 2011)

Is there an easier way to raise my ph from my tap its very low and my cichlids require a very high ph. It seems like when i add my buffer baking soda and epshom they tend to get very unconfortable no casualties or anything but it seem like it shocks them any pointers.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

What is your KH?

As long as your tank water and your new water are exactly the same, it should not shock them.


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## ryans125g (Jul 18, 2011)

well im adding the new water and then the buffer while its in the aquarium so so will the water ph imedeitly change cause my tap is alot lower then what i actually require and i want to keep up with my normal weekly water changes i have no kh water test im new to the hobby..??? i know i should have one ill make it A POINT TO PURCHASE


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

What cichlids do you have? African Rift Lake cichlids, for example, are fine with pH of 7.8 or even 7.6. You want your KH to be over 4 though so pH without KH does not tell you really whether you need to add buffers.

If you DO need to add buffers, why not try dissolving the buffer in a gallon of water and adding it a little at a time throughout the refill of your tap water after a water change?

Is your pH before the water change and the pH after the water change exactly the same? Maybe you are raising or lowering it a little accidentally with each water change?

You don't want it to bounce down while adding the water and then bump up when you add the buffer.

Are you dissolving the buffer thoroughly? Poorly dissolved ingredients can be irritating to the fish as well.


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## Anthraxx8500 (Feb 11, 2011)

honestly just add decor that will help increase KH and GH and call it a day. unless ur 6.0 out of the tap i really wouldnt go playing with ph. its far to easy to screw things up in the long run. if your KH stays stable then your ph will remain there as well and really thats all you need in the long run.


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

+1

I'd add some aragonite to the filter. I didn't find it made a difference in my already hard water, but it should keep the hardness from dropping at least.

Most fish are tolerant of a range of water parameters, but intolerant of sudden changes.


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## mgreen44 (Dec 27, 2011)

Adding it inside your canister filter does great I have 3 trays and fill one with crushed coral and shells the good stream of water flowing over it will do just fine. I change 50% every week and my tap water is neutral to start fish are fine and spawning all the time. Only thing I add is water conditioner for chlorine and slime coat and salt 1 tablespoon for 5 gallons. I had some mixed in my sand but like the look better without it so just added more inside filter.


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## ryans125g (Jul 18, 2011)

Im letting the buffer desolve witha little hot water and adding it to my tank after every water change my needed or desired ph is about a high 7 low 8 and stays there pretty consistently the problem is when I do my water changes my tap ph is about a 6 so I add water straight from tap and it appears my fish get very snappy after words I'm scared this is some form of shock should I be doing something different like adding distilled water or maybe not adding as much buffer my tanks be set up for 1 yr only one causualty since don't want any more I believe the majority of my fish are Malawi please comment feed back much appreciated thanks everyone


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## beasterman1 (Sep 7, 2009)

Add slowly and retest after a couple hours.


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## NickosW (Jun 28, 2012)

I know I've completely resurrected this from the dead, but I had a similar issue where my previous tank pretty much carked it and I had to do a quick transfer of my cichlids to a newly acquired 4ft tank that I'd literally only walked through the front door the day before..

I panicked, googled a solution because it was quite late and my LFS were all shut for the night, and found that adding baking soda (or bi-carb soda) can increase your pH? Obviously it isn't the sort of thing you want to do more than once, but I notice that no-one put forth that solution.. is it a bad one? If you gotta acclimate quickly (like I did..)

Even with transferring approx 50% of my old tank water, my first 3 pH tests were hitting between 6 and 6.5, which obviously is quite low .. didn't want to risk giving them shock so I hitup the local supermarket and ended up adding 4 teaspoons of bi-carb soda. Within 10 minutes my pH was at a solid 7.5+

I've only been reading this forum for a few days, but you all know your stuff so.. is what I did a complete and utter mistake?

(ps. all fish are healthy and xferred just fine btw )


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

ryans125g said:


> when i add my buffer baking soda


That is what he was using. You want to do it gradually if fish are in the tank and you want to continue to do it with every water change. If you match the water the fish are in with the new water exactly (or within 0.2 if you are trying to increase) you should not shock the fish. Of course, you want to match the other water parameters as well (temp, nitrates, etc.).

If your tap pH is low, all the more reason to check your KH. Raising the pH is not bad, but you also don't want swings so KH is important. A high-enough KH will keep your pH stable.


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## NickosW (Jun 28, 2012)

Apologies!! I did a quick scan of all the posts in the thread and somehow -completely- and utterly missed the keyword 'buffer baking soda'  Also, melbourne's (australia) tap water is approx pH 7 so me quoting 6.5 as a reading can't have been right, think I'm just confusing myself.

But doing it every water change is something I didn't know, so I'm going to have to thank you for that one


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

If you don't, the new water will lower the pH overall.


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## ryans125g (Jul 18, 2011)

I've been pretty consistent now for quite a while as far as PH and just wanted to say thanks for the buffet recipe all though I add I lot less then what called for. But I still haven't picked up my test kit for gh kh etc... I've even achieved susesfull breeding with in my aquarium and branched my hobby of having a 125 gal aquarium to a 10 gal grow out directly under neath. Knock on wood and with all respect to the hobby but is it safe to say ph is everything as far as water parameters please respond thank everyone


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

No pH is not everything. KH keeps you stable so it's more important. But having no ammonia or nitrites and keeping nitrates low is "everything" if anything is.


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## ryans125g (Jul 18, 2011)

What is a lagidimint test kit for fresh water to have at all time and whats the pricing on them thanks a lot


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

API Master Freshwater, about $20. The KH kits are separate.


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