Ph shift?

[dhuffer]

Hi there...... Is a slight Ph change when adding to the population normal? I have a 55 gal planted tank that is a few months old (and has been cycled) The first time I added fish I added 4 fish, a Cory cat and 3 Gouramis. Waited and tested water daily for a week the next weekend I added 5 more Tetras so we are up to nine. Waited another week testing daily. water stayed fine nitrate 20ppm nitrite 0ppm and ammonia 0pmm. That brings me to this last weekend I put a total of 6 more. 3 Tetras & 3 Angelfish. That was Friday night I tested Saturday night and my Ph that has been running right around 6.6-7.0 had dropped to about 6.4 or a little less. I do weekly water changes and everything has been staying pretty much stable until this last weekend... I tested again this morning and it has not dropped any farther but still. I like to stay on top of things before they become an issue...

[BBradbury]

Originally Posted by dhuffer

Hi there...... Is a slight Ph change when adding to the population normal? I have a 55 gal planted tank that is a few months old (and has been cycled) The first time I added fish I added 4 fish, a Cory cat and 3 Gouramis. Waited and tested water daily for a week the next weekend I added 5 more Tetras so we are up to nine. Waited another week testing daily. water stayed fine nitrate 20ppm nitrite 0ppm and ammonia 0pmm. That brings me to this last weekend I put a total of 6 more. 3 Tetras & 3 Angelfish. That was Friday night I tested Saturday night and my Ph that has been running right around 6.6-7.0 had dropped to about 6.4 or a little less. I do weekly water changes and everything has been staying pretty much stable until this last weekend... I tested again this morning and it has not dropped any farther but still. I like to stay on top of things before they become an issue...

Hello d...

Unless you keep rare fish, you don't need to be concerned with pH, hardness or any of that kind of thing. As long as the water chemistry remains fairly stable, your fish will adapt to your tap water. Just treat it for the standard toxins like ammonia, chlorine and chloramine.

Large, frequent water changes will also maintain the water properties.

B

[dhuffer]

Thanks for the insight......

[somewhatshocked]

Large, frequent water changes are only necessary if you have large amounts of fertilizer in your water column or tons and tons of waste to remove.

Your pH drop could be a result of your tank aging, driftwood tannins, substrate, et al.

[Diana]

No, adding that few fish to that large a tank will not cause that great a change in pH.

Better to control the GH and KH instead and let the pH alone.
For the fish you list GH and KH anywhere from 3 German degrees of hardness to about 5 would be optimum, and up to about 9 degrees would be OK for hatchery raised fish.

What is the GH and KH of the tap water, and of the tank?

[dhuffer]

Originally Posted by Diana

No, adding that few fish to that large a tank will not cause that great a change in pH.

Better to control the GH and KH instead and let the pH alone.
For the fish you list GH and KH anywhere from 3 German degrees of hardness to about 5 would be optimum, and up to about 9 degrees would be OK for hatchery raised fish.

What is the GH and KH of the tap water, and of the tank?

I will double check again to make sure I have correct gh & kh reading ....

[roadmaster]

Originally Posted by BBradbury

Hello d...

Unless you keep rare fish, you don't need to be concerned with pH, hardness or any of that kind of thing. As long as the water chemistry remains fairly stable, your fish will adapt to your tap water. Just treat it for the standard toxins like ammonia, chlorine and chloramine.

Large, frequent water changes will also maintain the water properties.

B

Have been keeping tropical's for nearly 40 year's, and there are lot's of fishes that will manage in moderately hard to hard water, and more than a few who thrive in soft, acidic water,and do poorly over the long haul in hard alkaline water.
Keeping soft water fishes in hard water, or vice versa,serves no useful purpose, and is often the difference between fishes that thrive,,,and those that last but a few week's month's IME.