FishProfiles.com Message Forums

	high PH but fish are eating like pigs :)
braytag Fingerling Posts: 15 Kudos: 9 Votes: 0 Registered: 03-Mar-2004	My PH is approching 8.8 (limit of the test chart), last week I swear it was at about 7.8 (city water is at 7.4) I'm getting worried, but the fish are eating fine, the little buggers always want more (don't worry I have enough filtration to handle triple of the stock I have now) I have 0 nitrites and 0 ammonia. I have normal "colored substrate" black of course, no cement, or anything that I could see that could raising the ph. I even have driftwood in the tank(if my memory is correct, this should lower the ph) should I be worried? do I just leave it as that?
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:19
john.stone Banned Posts: 1600 Kudos: 2332 Votes: 18 Registered: 03-Apr-2003	How old is your test kit? Is there an experation date on it? At 8.8 normal fish should have died by now..... Thats high even for african cichlids...
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:19
Cichlid Keeper Big Fish Posts: 368 Kudos: 466 Votes: 304 Registered: 17-Aug-2003	What type of test kit are you using? Have you tried retesting the water as it sounds as if you may possibly be getting false readings.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:19
littlemousling Conchiform Posts: 5230 Registered: 23-Aug-2003	I'm going to disagree john.stone - most fish are commonly kept well out of their natural range (look at Neons in 7.8), and although, yes, pH is a logarythmic scale and 8.8 is a significant change from 7.8, most fish will adapt to it given time. I wouldn't necessaily recommend Chocolate Gouramis, but I wouldn't expect it to just kill off most fish. OTOH, what a great change to keep VERY happy Rift Lake Africans, if your test is correct. Switch now! You won't regret it. -Molly Visit shelldwellers.com!
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:19
braytag Fingerling Posts: 15 Kudos: 9 Votes: 0 Registered: 03-Mar-2004	the kit is about 1 yr old... I'll check for expiration date tonight and keep you guys informed.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:19
littlemousling Conchiform Posts: 5230 Registered: 23-Aug-2003	At a year old I wouldn't trust it at all. -Molly Visit shelldwellers.com!
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:19
john.stone Banned Posts: 1600 Kudos: 2332 Votes: 18 Registered: 03-Apr-2003	In wasn't saying that 8.8 water would kill any fish, I am fully aware of the extremes that fish can endure... What I meant was that the poster said it was 7.8 the week before... a rise to 8.8 in one week would be fatal... And unless you poured baking soda into the tank I really don't think it's possible. That is unless you have something thats sucking the acid out of the water........
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:19
braytag Fingerling Posts: 15 Kudos: 9 Votes: 0 Registered: 03-Mar-2004	is 1 yr old test kit expired!?! I tought it would be good for a few years no? also like I said, I know a bit about chemistry, and nothing in the tank other than the driftwood might actually affect the ph (from what I can figure out). Rocks are crystal based (like granit, and not metal/calcium based),substrate is rock based coated in paint(you know hagen style), no cement, no chemical of any sort other than the "de-chlorifier" I also do 5G water change every 2 days (in a 90G) fishes are malawi cichlids and a pleco. plants are pretty much only Anubias. I just borrowed my GF test kit, but it's also about 1yr old I'll see what It gives me when I get home.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:19


	Jump to:

The views expressed on this page are the implied opinions of their respective authors.
Under no circumstances do the comments on this page represent the opinions of the staff of FishProfiles.com.

FishProfiles.com Forums, version 11.0
Mazeguy Smilies