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Well I don't know exactly what quikrete is made of but there are a few things to watch in playsand. There are a few kinds of playsand that will raise your ph although they're not as common. Usually play sand is silica which can increase brown algae. In my case when I used it I got strings and columns of brown algae. Who has ever seen a brown algae column/tower coming up off the bottom of the tank? Most people don't have that big of problem if any but even without the playsand I have brown algae problems. If it doesn't say silica for ingrediants then it will likely say quartz. So long as it doesn't say limestone, crushed coral, or anything with calcium then it won't raise ph. If you really want to test it take a handful out and let it dry a little. Then dump vinegar on it. If it fizzes or bubbles there's a good chance it will raise ph.

.6 is if i leave it 24hrs and I do water changes with water that has only sat that long sometimes. If I did it straight from the tap it would be somewhere around 2ph lower than my tank. Depending which tank I was changing and the exact ph of my tap water at the time. Also enough gas bubbles in the water that the fish start gasping at the surface.

a 0.6 change in only 20% of your water won't be that big of an effect. You will probably be within the allowable range, only changing it 0.1-0.15 or so, I would bet. I couldn't do the storage thing on my 36 - it was just too much. I just use a python, but then again, those are goldfish and are more tolerant. But I think there's people here that use a python on discus tanks.

I can only change about 10-15 gallons at time because that's all I have room to store. I have done 20g on the 55g since there's enough water there that 5g won't really move the ph. It sometimes means 2 water changes a week to keep nitrates down. After losing a farlowella I don't like risking it by using water that hasn't sat for at least 48hrs. Even 24hrs with a bubble stone comes out about .6 below my tank.

Not to mention the bubbles themselves help. They allow for more water to air contact, thus speeding up the gas exchange.

Well the airstone in a small container creates current and brings more water in contact with the atmosphere where it can equalize.

That is very interesting Cory Di.

My pH was going up and then stalled. this may be a way of getting it up a bit more.

I will experiment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~ My fish blow kisses at me all day long ~~~

My water comes out of the tap at 7.0 (when I last tested it ). I had put an airstone in a bucket of freshly filled tap water, then retested the next morning and it was 8.0. That's where outgasing left it.

It's one reason why I have stuck with only 30% water changes on my goldie tank at any one time. I know the water going into their tank is 7.0 and don't want the pH to fluctuate that much temporarily.

I wish I hadn't thrown the bag away. That would have made this whole thing a lot easier.

Thanks sham, I'll give the vinegar test a go, just to make sure.

I just tested my tanks today, they were at 7.8. Then I tested the water right from the faucet, and that was just 7.0.

Does regular play sand cause a jump in pH?

I have nothing else in my tanks that would cause this, so I think it has to be the sand.

I tested some more tap water today. After letting it sit for about 15 minutes it read at 7.4 pH. So I'm assuming if I would have let it sit longer the pH would have been even higher. Just like you guys already said. Thanks!

I know the 7.8pH isn't that bad. All of the fish I currently have and plan on keeping, won't have a problem with it. I was just curious as to see the difference(if any) in how the fish act. Mainly, I was going to try a new Betta in the lower pH. Oh well.

I doubt this makes a difference, but the sand I have been using is QUIKRETE brand play sand.

Last edited by T/A at 31-Jan-2005 19:46

Hi,
Just got to read your reply to my post. What is generally
refered to as aquarium gravel is specifically selected
to NOT affect the pH of the tank. Most sand or aquarium
gravel is actually weathered rock. Rock that has been
exposed to weathering for millions and millions of years.
So long that all that remains of the origional rock is
quartz. Some of the impurities within the quartz will
color it, but still it is mostly quartz (SiO2). Its
the same as glass. Look at any sand or gravel with
a magnifying glass and you will see that it is predominately
particles of glass. This is inert, and will not affect
your water.


Other aquarium gravels are rocks that have been coated
with either a colored, or clear, epoxy paint. This paint
not only colors the individual grains, but it also keeps
the rock from affecting the water (pH).

Other aquarium gravels are designed TO affect the water's
pH. These are made of crushed coral, crushed dolomite,
crushed limestone, or crushed oyster shells. These are
all a form of Carbonate and will cause your pH to climb
as well as the hardness (GH).

Chances are you purchased "regular" aquarium sand or
gravel, and the chances of getting anything in that gravel
to affect the pH are minimum.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

And thus T/A learns about gas exchange.lol

No worries mate, a PH of 7.8 is fine for most fish. Just know that this is what you have, and know that you have to acclimate any new fish accordingly (read: slowly) to your PH.

I wouldn't try to keep Discus or blue rams in that PH, but as a rule most Trops can handle that PH in stride.

Or you could just keep African cichlids.

Alright, I'll give that go tommorrow. Then I'll post what the new reading is.

I was actually hoping that it was the sand causing the higher pH. At least I would have been able to setup a neutral tank with much hassle. I would have just used plain gravel instead of the sand.

Hi,
Veteric is correct. When the water plant pumps the
water from the purification system into the pipes,
various gasses are trapped within the water (O2, CO2, etc.).
When the water comes out of the faucet it flows through
a device called an aerator (the screen assembly) to
oxygenate it and remove much of the chlorine
(NOT chloramine).
The pH will always be different because of the
entrained gasses. Give it time to degas and then test it.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

water comes out of the tap at a better PH because of the oxygenation it's gone through I think- i know that when i get my water right from the tap then test immediately it's about .5 lowwer than it should be after it's settled. Let it sit for a while, then test. If that isn't it and I'm actualy full of BS, then I'de look at any changes you've made to the tank if it has normaly been stable.

Water can come out of the tap at a lower ph. My well water comes out at 6.8-7 and goes up to 8.0-8.6. There's nothing in my tank to raise ph and things like driftwood that should help lower it a small amount. There's so much dissolved gas in my well water that you can't see through a glass with only a few inches in it untill you stir it or let it sit for a few minutes. If you want to make sure it's not something in your tank leave a clean bucket of water sit for 36-48hrs and then test the ph.