# PH



## jeffVmahar (Mar 31, 2005)

The PH out of my tap is 7.6 and the PH in my tank is 8.2. The crushed gravel in my tank raised my PH (found out after I put it in). Now I get fluctuations in my tank and my PH can be anywear between 7.6-8.2 is this safe for my pirhana? I checked it like a week ago and it was at 7.6 and I just checked it now 2 days after a water change and PH is 8.2


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

I recommend you do smaller more frequent water changes.


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## benJii (Feb 17, 2005)

jeffVmahar said:


> The PH out of my tap is 7.6 and the PH in my tank is 8.2. The crushed gravel in my tank raised my PH (found out after I put it in). Now I get fluctuations in my tank and my PH can be anywear between 7.6-8.2 is this safe for my pirhana? I checked it like a week ago and it was at 7.6 and I just checked it now 2 days after a water change and PH is 8.2
> 
> 
> 
> ...










P's in 8 water!!!got that must be bad for em, even seven is not good. piranhas (and all other south american fish) live in waters less than 7. i JUST checked my tank and im at 6.1(which is ackually kinda low). depending on what type of piranha you have, you should have 5.8-6.8(it REALLY doesnt matter, because piranhas arnt sesitive to ph,or any other water parameter for that matter). reds will do best at round 6.7. i suggest investing in some peat, blackwater extract, or the best choice would be just plain ph decreaser.


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## smithgrind_who (Mar 26, 2004)

Tibs said:


> P's in 8 water!!!got that must be bad for em, even seven is not good. piranhas (and all other south american fish) live in waters less than 7. i JUST checked my tank and im at 6.1(which is ackually kinda low). depending on what type of piranha you have, you should have 5.8-6.8(it REALLY doesnt matter, because piranhas arnt sesitive to ph,or any other water parameter for that matter). reds will do best at round 6.7. i suggest investing in some peat, blackwater extract, or the best choice would be just plain ph decreaser.
> [snapback]1017922[/snapback]​


Hey Tibs, I am curious to know how one test an aquarium's pH at a level of 5.8? Do you know of a product that will give results this low? Even if you can keep the pH stable at that level, I would be worried about a pH crash. Adjusting the pH of an aquarium is not an easy task.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

Here's some good info for you on PH. This is a copy and paste from our fabulous FAQ:
As long as you have a stable PH between 6-8.5 you should not
mess with it unless you are an experienced keeper and you
have the energy to constantly monitor it.

a) Constant variations of ph are not good for fish it is
actually better to acclimatize your fish to the ph of your
water. trying to keep ph constant can be a pain both for the
fish and the fish keeper.

b) The less chemicals people use, especially when it's not
even necessary, the better.

c) A ph range of 6.0 to 8.3 can be had for piranha however
it must be noted that ammonia toxicity increases at a higher
ph. To add, a ph at 5.5, the beneficial bacteria starts to
die off.

d) KH in your water is extremely important to keeping a
stable ph. A KH reading of 80 + ppm should be sufficient to
mantain a properly stocked tank. With low kh comes low ph, a
major risk for ph crash. This can be increased with adding
buffers.

e) A high ph can be brought down through reverse osmosis,
adding peat plates to your filter, or multiple water changes
adding PH 7.0 over a 2 week period. However, it is important
to note that plant tanks should not use PH 7.0 product.


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## Husky_Jim (May 26, 2003)

I suggest you to remove the asbestolithic gravel you have and put a silica one.This will solve your problem once and for all.......Try not to put any chemicals in your tank...


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## benJii (Feb 17, 2005)

smithgrind_who said:


> Tibs said:
> 
> 
> > P's in 8 water!!!got that must be bad for em, even seven is not good. piranhas (and all other south american fish) live in waters less than 7. i JUST checked my tank and im at 6.1(which is ackually kinda low). depending on what type of piranha you have, you should have 5.8-6.8(it REALLY doesnt matter, because piranhas arnt sesitive to ph,or any other water parameter for that matter). reds will do best at round 6.7. i suggest investing in some peat, blackwater extract, or the best choice would be just plain ph decreaser.
> ...


yes they do make test kits that low, and the amazon river ackually is at 4.8-7.One of the best ways to keep your ph at a constant low is to put peat it. u dont have to add and add and add continuasly, but u would have to have quite to lower from 8's to 6's.i personally have peat in my filter, and i add blackwater extract because of the tannins that it turns the water, but its also good for the ph.


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## smithgrind_who (Mar 26, 2004)

Tibs said:


> yes they do make test kits that low, and the amazon river ackually is at 4.8-7.One of the best ways to keep your ph at a constant low is to put peat it. u dont have to add and add and add continuasly, but u would have to have quite to lower from 8's to 6's.i personally have peat in my filter, and i add blackwater extract because of the tannins that it turns the water, but its also good for the ph.
> [snapback]1018446[/snapback]​


I never heard of Amazon Rivers. Where would be a good place to pick this product that test the pH? My pH is low at times and it would be great to really know if it's lower than 6.0.


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Yeah, piranha prefer water more acidic.
In my opinion, you'll have better results if you lower the pH.
I'd redo the substrate to something that isn't gonna make the water alkaline.
pH fluctuations can be a bitch... I had problems with it for awhile...
My tap is 7.2 and my target pH is 6.0
I finally am able to achieve this with NO fluctuation whatsoever by adding acid buffing agent to the water during changes.
Plain pH decreaser will not hold because the buffers in the tap return it in several hours to the previous pH.
The buffers in the acid buffer however, keep it where you want it.
I did an experiment with 2 buckets, one treated and one not treated... 48 hours later the treated bucket still read at 6.0.








p.s. My piranhas have never been healthier as a result... their colors are brighter, they're more aggressive and active and their appetites are better.


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## smithgrind_who (Mar 26, 2004)

smithgrind_who said:


> Tibs said:
> 
> 
> > P's in 8 water!!!got that must be bad for em, even seven is not good. piranhas (and all other south american fish) live in waters less than 7. i JUST checked my tank and im at 6.1(which is ackually kinda low). depending on what type of piranha you have, you should have 5.8-6.8(it REALLY doesnt matter, because piranhas arnt sesitive to ph,or any other water parameter for that matter). reds will do best at round 6.7. i suggest investing in some peat, blackwater extract, or the best choice would be just plain ph decreaser.
> ...


I would like to know more about this product.


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## weidjd (Feb 13, 2005)

I think constant ph and less chemicals is the best. So peat as a natural adjuster and nothing else is what I would do.


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## Mack (Oct 31, 2004)

"the amazon river ackually is at 4.8-7"

LOL. The Amazon river does not get down to 4.8... I would highly doubt it, at least.

Don't worry about pH, just keep it nice and constant.

My pH is *8.8*, and my fish have no problems.


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## weidjd (Feb 13, 2005)

8.8 that is high, but if they are used to it then not a prob. Mine is 7.8 and I never worry about ph no matter what fish. Getting my first Ps next week and that is what they will have.


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