[Hadley]

I just noticed in one of my tanks my pH has really been swinging. I top off with water that is 8.0+ and when I add it to my tank it's about 7.8. By the next morning it's 6.

I have shrimp so I'm concerned.

All I have in this tank are some plants, a piece of driftwood, Flourite Black and an airstone. I'm considering getting some local river rocks because I have them in another tank that's at a stead higher pH.

Any thought?

 

[wkndracer]

do you test the KH level on your water?
8pH to 6pH is a huge shift (imo)

 

[fresh.salty]

If the pH of the tap water is really 8 I'd think the KH would be pretty high too. Our CA tap is about 7.5 and kh is always nearly 11. But ours is high due to the chlorination method they use. Most all water providers boost the pH to prevent pipe corrosion. Don't think there is a way they can do that without raising the kH at the same time.

As far as shrimp it depends on what type your are keeping. It may not really matter.

 

[wkndracer]

This thread ran it's course last night on a similar topic, high pH tap and a tank pH crash.
Cali tankers,, you folks sure have weird water.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/fertilizers-water-parameters/147551-terrible-tragedy-ph-kh-gh.html

My tap is crap but at least simple to figure out.

 

[Jadelin]

Actually, my water is really soft but it still comes out of the tap at around 8.0; Hadley, do you let your water sit at all? I try to let me water sit overnight, and the pH goes down to around 7.0. If it's a shrimp tank maybe the volume is small enough you can do that?

 

[2in10]

This thread ran it's course last night on a similar topic, high pH tap and a tank pH crash.
Cali tankers,, you folks sure have weird water.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/fertilizers-water-parameters/147551-terrible-tragedy-ph-kh-gh.html

My tap is crap but at least simple to figure out.

It has a lot to do with where you are at. I have the same thing happen. It has to so with water treatment and the chemicals used and your plumbing out here. We have very soft water from snow melt. I think your water comes from wells and is affected by your geography.

 

[Hadley]

My kH is 9 - 10. And it does not come from a well, it comes from Hetch Hetchy. I'm keeping Tiger shrimp.

I can easily leave the water out over night and see what happens, however, my pH in the tank is still dropping to 6 after adding untreated (with pH buffer of any kind) from my typical pH.

I'll be sure to check out the other thread but any help would be really appreciated.

 

[2in10]

What is the tank water's KH? The local rock may be a good thing.

 

[Hadley]

My kH is between 9 - 10.

I'm thinking I'm going to get some local rock tomorrow.

 

[wkndracer]

sorry, I'm easily confused is this 9-10ppm or 9-10dKH?

 

[Hadley]

dKH
and it's ok I'm easily confused too.

 

[wkndracer]

I believe something is wrong here in the testing method, a full 2 point drop with that much buffer present would be difficult to say the least by any means I'm aware of.

hope you figure this one out as I haven't a clue now.

LAME! ??? a typo or am I being slow again LOL

 

[Hadley]

LAME! I mean not your fault at all but I'm baffled too. I know some other aquarists who have had issues with ph because of things in their tank such as driftwood, rocks ... So I'll go get some of that magical river rock and see what it does to my ph.

Does anyone have any feedback on how my shrimp are going to fair?

 

[Hoppy]

Hetch Hetchy water is not at all hard. It is snow melt water. I can't believe your tap water, if it is from Hetch Hetchy can have that high a KH. San Francisco water is certainly not that high.

 

[Hadley]

Hetch Hetchy water is not at all hard. It is snow melt water. I can't believe your tap water, if it is from Hetch Hetchy can have that high a KH. San Francisco water is certainly not that high.

I really don't know what to say, I tested it and those were my results. I can test again when I get home. :icon_ques

It's the the first time I've tested.
My water comes from Crystal Springs which is filled with rain water and Hetch Hetchy water...Maybe it's my building? I live in a large, older condo buildling.

Is there a more effective way to test other than my drop tester?

 

[zachary908]

Hadley if your water really does come out at a PH of 8, and your Kh is high as well I'd suggest using RO water, and just re mineralizing it. It took the headache out of parameters for me, so it might help you.

What kind of shrimp are you planning on keeping?

 

[Hadley]

I was thinking about doing that but my understanding is that RO water has a very low pH to begin with.

I'm keeping OEBT like you, and from the research I've done my pH NEEDS to be higher, doesn't it?

And really my tap water pH is through the roof.

(btw, I already have the shrimp - they came yesterday, I acclimated them (to a 7.5 pH tank), checked for any deaths this morning and they are all ok, but when I checked my pH it was down to 6 so I'm not overly hopeful that my shrimp will be ok. Do you know anything about this as the shrimp not dying are my main concern)

 

[zachary908]

Yeah, the PH in RO water will be pretty low.

It's my understanding that OEBT's like a PH in the range of upper 6's to lower 7's (6.8-7.2 or so)

I've heard of people keeping them in a much higher PH though. I think the big thing with shrimp such as these is stability. Once they are used to your tank they should be fairly hardy and be able to adapt to a higher PH if the parameters stay consistent. If you go with straight RO water and remineralize it you should be okay, you may need to raise the PH slightly, but it shouldn't be too difficult.

 

[shrimpnmoss]

does it stabilize at 6?...if the drop is after you put the water in....something in your tank could be driving the ph down...which is GREAT for shrimps....6 is a lovely ph for your shrimps...as long as it stays at 6 I would worry about it....BUT how are your measuring ph...if it is a drop tester...ph6 is the final color and your ph could be much much lower...

 

[Hadley]

Yeah, the PH in RO water will be pretty low.

It's my understanding that OEBT's like a PH in the range of upper 6's to lower 7's (6.8-7.2 or so)

I've heard of people keeping them in a much higher PH though. I think the big thing with shrimp such as these is stability. Once they are used to your tank they should be fairly hardy and be able to adapt to a higher PH if the parameters stay consistent. If you go with straight RO water and remineralize it you should be okay, you may need to raise the PH slightly, but it shouldn't be too difficult.

If I add the river rock, my pH will be perfectly stable in the high 7s, right now it's stable at 6. I can keep it stable at that point but for whatever reason I can't get to stay higher than that.

Call me stupid, but I really have no idea how to remineralize RO water, how would I go about doing this (or can you point me to a thread of guideline I can read?)

does it stabilize at 6?...if the drop is after you put the water in....something in your tank could be driving the ph down...which is GREAT for shrimps....6 is a lovely ph for your shrimps...as long as it stays at 6 I would worry about it....BUT how are your measuring ph...if it is a drop tester...ph6 is the final color and your ph could be much much lower...

It's a drop tester and I think it bottoms out 6. I have another tester (that I don't know if it has enough liquid in that goes down to 5) and I can check that when I get home from work in a few hours.

I'm going to check my pH again with the other tester when I get home and I'll update with what it says. If it is much lower would you recommend that I adjust my higher (tap) pH, to the pH I know the tank will be at with the rocks?

What I'm trying to ask is, if say the driftwood in the tank (because that's the only thing in the tank that I understand can drive the pH down) is the factor here, and I add river rock which will raise the pH, should I then test what the pH is and then adjust my tap water pH accordingly?

If the tester says it really is 6, just stick with the 6 and the tigers will be fine?