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problem reducing my PH

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:11 pm
by rynwilliams
Hi i have had my 4 zebra plecs for about a year now in the tank.

The tds is around 120 and the but i cant get the PH below 8.0, i test my RO water and it is exactly 7.0 wyhen it goes in the tank.

I have 4 caves, a piece of bog wood and 2 peat balls, when i do a water change it will go down to maybe 7.5 but the next day back up to 8.0. Even tried using some Eichen Extract but same it lowers it temporarily and then again back up to 8.0 the next day.

i am using a power head and a Eheim ecco filter with ceramic and a carbon filter and some Filter wool.

Could the filter or filter media be cauing the PH rise?

I do have another filter a fluval g6 that i have but i think it might be a bit too powerful for the tank it is only 65 litres and it does 700lph

Any ideas or suggestions?

Re: problem reducing my PH

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:11 am
by Zeno
Maybe you have some stones or filter media containing chalk, like moonstones.
You can also reduce water changes and make a good aeration which make bubbling the water surface in order to let out some carbonates.

Zeno

Re: problem reducing my PH

Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2012 3:46 pm
by TwoTankAmin
I am assuming that you do a mix or RRO and tap water. You may actually have some dissolved co2 in your tap water which outgasses and then lets the pH rise to its natural level. The easy way to test for this it to fill a small container with tap water and then put in an airstone and bubble if got about 2 hours and then test.

RO water should have a KH of 0, so it has no buffering capacity. If your tap water has a "higher" level of kh, this would exert greater influence over the RO water than vice versa. You might want to check the KH. You can buy a kit or else your local fish store might be able to test a sample of the tap and/or tank waters.

The good news is that pH 8 is not a big deal. Zebras are pretty tolerant of a range of params. The more important one for triggering spawns is the TDS and changes to same.