# my ph is way to high



## blazednosferatu (Feb 27, 2006)

My ph is 8.8 on the high ph range scale, i got those liquid bottles with the little glass viles, its like a masters kit and it says my ph is 8.8 which i believe is way too high, i need some help here


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## Kemper1989 (Feb 14, 2005)

Whats the pH out of your tap?


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## blazednosferatu (Feb 27, 2006)

tap water-7.2


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## Kemper1989 (Feb 14, 2005)

How much Aeration do you have


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## blazednosferatu (Feb 27, 2006)

well i have those bubbles wands in there


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## blazednosferatu (Feb 27, 2006)

well cmon guys i need some help here!


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

blazednosferatu said:


> well cmon guys i need some help here!


do you have any crushed coral, or rocks for a high pH? There has to be something in your tank that is buffering the water


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## blazednosferatu (Feb 27, 2006)

i have gravel and all fake stuff like plants and rock


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

can you get some pics of the rocks that you have?

What is your filtration, and water change schedule?


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## Ex0dus (Jun 29, 2005)

Post up your water parameters.


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## blazednosferatu (Feb 27, 2006)

well i do have alot of brown algae, and i have two filters,cascade powerfilter 200 and a aquatech 5-15 in a 38g, change 30% twice a week


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## blazednosferatu (Feb 27, 2006)

so anyone have any ideas?


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## Ex0dus (Jun 29, 2005)

test your water and post the results. ?


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## harrykaa (Jan 10, 2005)

blazednosferatu said:


> My ph is 8.8 on the high ph range scale, i got those liquid bottles with the little glass viles, its like a masters kit and it says my ph is 8.8 which i believe is way too high, i need some help here


Strange to read somebody has much higher pH in his tank than in the tap water.
Usually it is other way round, because decaying material always cause acidification.

But, blazednosferatu, one possible explanation could be that you have a lot of plants and a high wattage lighting, but not enough carbon for them. So active photosynthesis may use up almost all of the free carbon dioxide from your water. This will raise the pH, but may also in difficult situations cause formation of calcium hydroxide and a high pH as carbonates are also used up.
But this only with the preconditions I have given above.

Also adding NaHCO3 (baking soda) and Na2CO3 (soda) to raise alkalinity and buffering capacity raises pH, but it should stay about 8.3 buffered.

Regards,


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## Kemper1989 (Feb 14, 2005)

Is it possible for wires in fake plants to raise the ph?


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## blazednosferatu (Feb 27, 2006)

my plants are plastic harrykaa lol, thanks anyways, here are my water results, Ph 8.8,ammonia 0,nitrite 0, nitrates 40


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## harrykaa (Jan 10, 2005)

blazednosferatu said:


> my plants are plastic harrykaa lol, thanks anyways, here are my water results, Ph 8.8,ammonia 0,nitrite 0, nitrates 40


Right, it was merely an attempt to explain the high pH in your tank. But obviously not the right one, eh.

Well that leaves pretty much one the alternative left. It is your substrat. Could you describe that for us?

Regards,


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## blazednosferatu (Feb 27, 2006)

i dont even know what substrate is


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

blazednosferatu said:


> i dont even know what substrate is


gravel


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## blazednosferatu (Feb 27, 2006)

ah ic, its just that normal gravel that is put in fish tanks

heres a pic
View attachment 105004


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## B. Rodgers (Jan 20, 2005)

You need to go get some driftwood, or start using R. O. water in your tank, driftwood would be cheaper at the moment, but RO would definately take care of it for years to come. you can get a good RO unit for $130 on e-bay. but throw some pieces of driftwood in there and see if in a few weeks it drops to about a 7.0. Also, get some nylon panty hose and fill it with "canadian peat moss" and put it inside of your filters and that will help soften the water also, piranhas love that!


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## blazednosferatu (Feb 27, 2006)

alright ill try the driftwood


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## Guest (May 4, 2006)

8.8 is above even Rift Lake Cichlids.

This is a seious problem, but you have some of the best Water Chemist around helping you, so good luck.

If I may suggest something tho, look into peat. My water was 7.6-tap, now its stable at 6.6


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## harrykaa (Jan 10, 2005)

DannyBoy17 said:


> 8.8 is above even Rift Lake Cichlids.
> 
> If I may suggest something tho, look into peat. My water was 7.6-tap, now its stable at 6.6


Yes that is right.
In aquarium conditions all the bacterial activity also impact on lowering the ph, not raising it.
But really there must be carbonates (CO3) somewhere in your system. Usually adding soda (Na2CO3) into water will raise the pH even up to 9.0. On the other hand adding bicarbonates (HCO3) will keep the pH at around 8.0.

Try peat in your filter and do some water changes.

Regards,


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## doctorvtec (May 15, 2004)

Rodgers said:


> You need to go get some driftwood, or start using R. O. water in your tank, driftwood would be cheaper at the moment, but RO would definately take care of it for years to come. you can get a good RO unit for $130 on e-bay. but throw some pieces of driftwood in there and see if in a few weeks it drops to about a 7.0. Also, get some nylon panty hose and fill it with "canadian peat moss" and put it inside of your filters and that will help soften the water also, piranhas love that!


I think more importantly he needs to figure out what is jacking his tankwaters pH up. A 1.6 ppm jump from tap to tank is very alarming.

If it was me, I would test the gravel in some tapwater to see what effects it has on pH. If that is the culprit (which at this point that is what sticks out the most to me) then he needs to seriously think about switching substrates.


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## the_w8 (Jul 28, 2003)

add driftwood...helped alot for my tank


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