# What is the highest pH you have for RBP tank?



## blackandgold4ever05 (Jun 5, 2008)

I have a 55 gallon tank with 3 RBP's. I've had the tank for a few months now and when I first got the Piranhas, the guy at my lfs told me to use 6.5 pH buffer, so I did. I used this for all buckets of water going back in the tank for water changes. As of late, I can hardly keep my pH above 6.0. I tried to use the recommended dosage of the 6.5 pH buffer and it didn't make a difference. Last week I bought some pH-up, and started adding the recommended dosage, however after using more of it than I thought was needed, it never seemed to raise at all. I read in this forum that it isn't as big a deal as keeping it consistent, so I decided I was gonna try to slowly bring my pH up by adding my tap water which is close to a pH of 8. Over the weekend, when doing a water change, I added around 15 gallons of the high pH tap water but it barely moved, so I did an experiment and mixed a cup of 6.0+/- and a cup of the tap water at 8.0+/-. When I tested that water, it was around 6.4 at best. I just took out around 30 gallons and replaced with 30 gallons of tap water. My pH is now around 6.5, but I would like to get away from using the buffer because it is not recommended for planted tanks, which mine is. I think I will just keep adding the high pH water when doing water changes until I can get away with not using any buffer if this isn't too high of a pH.

So, to my main question... Would you recommend I do what I did today and continue with just tap water during weekly water changes of about 25%-35%? I just want to know if I slowly bring my pH up, how high can I make it?

I also would like to add peat or get the black water stuff, but didn't want to tempt it with a pH of around 6.0

Sorry for making this so long, and thanks in advance for any and all input.


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## cobrafox46 (Jun 2, 2008)

My PH is right around 7.7-7.9 with no problems. I would just gradually do it like you have. I have never done it so hopefully someone else will chime in!


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## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

blackwater extract and peat is pretty much out of the question for you right now to achieve your goals. You can add coral to raise the ph which acts as a buffer and will stabilize everything for you. Stop using the 6.5 buffer stuff as well because it wont help raising your ph. Do you have any driftwood in the tank? if you do, you might want to take it out because that will cause your ph to be low. the low ph could be from the waste of the fish or a combination of die off from the plants if you have any die off. my suggestion is do 2 water changes of 30% atleast a week and remove any driftwood if you have it check your ph after a week and then either add some coral to raise it if it is still not where you need it or use some driftwood to lower it if it creeps up too high. I keep my tanks between 6.5-7.0 depending on my tap water. P's like the water in this range vs the 7.0+ range.


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## blackandgold4ever05 (Jun 5, 2008)

Thanks guys. I do not have drift wood and never have. I do have some brownish leaves on my plants at times but I cut them off when I see them getting brown. This is mostly the amazon swords tallest leaves that get brownish after awhile but I thought maybe that was due to such low pH. I have been and will continue to do about 30% water changes twice a week til I can get it stabilized where i want it. Any more input is greatly appreciated.


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## NegativeSpin (Aug 1, 2007)

Give the following information and we can better ascertain the problem:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

pH just before the water change.

pH just after the water change and percent water that was changed.

Time period between the two water changes.

pH and kH of your tap water.

Size of the fish tank.

Amount and average size of your fish.

Do you have other acid leaching items in the tank like peat or bogwood?

Do you have a pressurized CO2 delivery system for your plants?

With the following information we can get you an accurate assessment, if possible, of what the trouble is with your setup/habits.


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## blackandgold4ever05 (Jun 5, 2008)

NegativeSpin said:


> Give the following information and we can better ascertain the problem:
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> pH just before the water change.
> ...


I think I answered some of this above, but here we go with the info I do know.

pH before water change has been around 6.0(as low as my test will show)

pH after has not made much of a difference after water change due to just recently not using the 6.5 buffer

Water changes are anywhere from 5-8 days apart until the last week where i've done it at least twice in a week with todays water change being more than 50%

tap water pH is 7.6 - 7.8 kH is between 40 and 60 (my test strips for this test suck and I will be getting a better test kit like my pH test this weekend

55 gallon tank(standard)

3 RBP's around 5-6 inches and a pleco that is around 6 inches

No peat or bogwood or driftwood if there is a difference. I do have some stones I got from a nearby stream but even removed them to see if it helped and it didn't so I put them back in.

No CO2 but I did add some plant food about 2 weeks ago, called (PLANTABBS Liquid Aquatic Plant Food 3-15-5)

I have about 3 inches of gravel and maybe 8 plants, a Cascade 300 HOB filter with bio bag in it and a maxi-jet 900 powerhead with a pre-filter. That is about it.

Thanks for the help!


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## NegativeSpin (Aug 1, 2007)

You have a pretty wicked water question with the information you gave. I'll try to figure out the best answer but it was suggested that you use crushed coral by another member. It is not an exact science but with the right amount of crushed coral you can keep your pH from dropping too far without the need for a specialized buffer solution. From how rapid your pH drops I would guess a major additive in the tap water is bicarbonate but I'm not sure if it could pH as high as your tap levels. One possibility is you are adding too much 6.5 buffer and rapidly diminishing the carbonate/bicarbonates in your water. Maybe you should buy a 55 gallon plastic drum and age your next water change in it with an air pump and air stone so the carbonate/bicarbonates have been depleted and you're closer to equilibrium with dissolved atmospheric C02. The short time between water changes will ensure it doesn't drop too low. More frequent water changes would raise the bottom line also then you can worry about peat and drift wood.


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## blackandgold4ever05 (Jun 5, 2008)

NegativeSpin said:


> You have a pretty wicked water question with the information you gave. I'll try to figure out the best answer but it was suggested that you use crushed coral by another member. It is not an exact science but with the right amount of crushed coral you can keep your pH from dropping too far without the need for a specialized buffer solution. From how rapid your pH drops I would guess a major additive in the tap water is bicarbonate but I'm not sure if it could pH as high as your tap levels. One possibility is you are adding too much 6.5 buffer and rapidly diminishing the carbonate/bicarbonates in your water. Maybe you should buy a 55 gallon plastic drum and age your next water change in it with an air pump and air stone so the carbonate/bicarbonates have been depleted and you're closer to equilibrium with dissolved atmospheric C02. The short time between water changes will ensure it doesn't drop too low. More frequent water changes would raise the bottom line also then you can worry about peat and drift wood.


Thanks. I don't really have a problem with it dropping. It has obviously dropped from 6.5 when setup to around 6.0, but that was over a 3 month period or more. I just couldn't get it to raise until I started adding alot of higher pH tap water, which I feel I have figured out for the most part. I was just wondering how high I could let it get because it is coming up now with the tap water. I will keep an eye on it the next couple days until my next water change but I don't think it will drop drastically if at all. I think alot of my problem was the pH buffer I was using. I only used this from the start because I was told to do so by the owner of a lfs.

Thanks again, and if you guys and gals with a higher than 7.0 pH, please let me know how high it is and if you encountered any problems with 7.0+ pH.


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## cobrafox46 (Jun 2, 2008)

I have never had a problem. My Reds and my Mac are just fine in my 7.8PH water. They act like normal fish.


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## blackandgold4ever05 (Jun 5, 2008)

cobrafox46 said:


> I have never had a problem. My Reds and my Mac are just fine in my 7.8PH water. They act like normal fish.


Thanks alot. That is probably what mine will be at after a few more water changes.


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## boiler149 (Oct 31, 2007)

i keep mine at 7.6


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## Big-Kev (Mar 29, 2008)

You got the right idea, just add the higher ph water when you do your water changes. Don't do more than a 30% water change.
The ph levels will change slowly at first then will rise faster after a couple of water changes. Don't try adjusting the ph up with chemicals or 
too large of a water change. The ph in my spilo's tank is 8.0, 8.2.


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## blackandgold4ever05 (Jun 5, 2008)

Thanks everyone!


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## Demon Darko (Jan 28, 2007)

6.8 for me.


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

If you're finding that your pH will stabilize at around 6 or slightly under, consider yourself lucky.
The waters in the Amazon Basin are right about that point.


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## Demon Darko (Jan 28, 2007)

Sometimes even lower.


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Yeah, ya just don't wanna get it so low that it kills off your beneficial bacteria.


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## blackandgold4ever05 (Jun 5, 2008)

Thanks for everyones input.


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