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Forgive me if this post is in the wrong forum. I just set up a 130 gallon tank. I'm using a brown sand substrate and have a few questions since I've never used sand before. First, would sand make the ph higher? The water out of my tap is 7.2 and the tank water is just above 7.6, I don't know for sure since the test only goes that high. Also, I have a pleco in a 20 gallon that I want to move to this tank. Can pleco's survive in a sand environment? I know that mine is always sucking at the gravel, and I'm concerned. I wouldn't put him in until the tank is cycled and the ph brought down. By the way, the tank isn't planted and won't be for a while. Thanks.

Depending on what kind of sand it is, it might raise the pH. Assuming you have nothing else that could raise pH in your tank, and since the tank water is more alkaline than your tap water, your sand is probably raising your pH.
Plecos actually prefer sand, as they can sift thru it easier than they can gravel. I would be good for the pleco to be in a much larger tank also.
Why do you want to brign the pH down? if the sand is bringing it up, you should leave it, most fish can do well in almost any pH, as long as it is stable, so by trying to bring it down, you'll jsut be making it worse, leave the pH the way it is...

Last edited by nattereri at 12-Feb-2005 09:26

Angie,

If you JUST set-up your tank within the last day or two and you are a municipal water system, nothing raised the pH of your tapwater! The tapwater pH will rise naturally if it is heated and aerated, the rise that you are seeing is normal.

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Here's a link to a thread I started about 2 weeks ago. It deals with the same thing.
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Water%20Quality/53860.html?200502041005

I forgot to mention that the water in the tank isn't heated yet, I'm still waiting for the heaters from an online retailer. The ph in my 20 gallon with the pleco is 7, so if I don't bring the ph down, wouldn't that hurt him being exposed to a much higher ph? I use Proper Ph 7.0 in my other 4 tanks to keep it stable. The pleco won't be going in anytime soon, I don't want to take any chances on losing him to the cycling process. How can I get him used to a much higher ph before he goes to the larger tank? If I stopped using the Proper ph in the 20 gallon and did regular water changes, would this gradually, and safely, rise the ph to that in the 130 gallon? I should also mention that there isn't anything else in the tank, just sand, an airstone, and 2 Aquaclear 500's. My water is from a drilled well and goes through a water conditioner, which I just found out that it hasn't been working properly and I have some iron in the water. Thank you for the replies.

Last edited by angie6999 at 13-Feb-2005 15:58

Angie,

The pH should not be a problem as the pH is higher in the new tank than in the old tank. You will need to acclimate the fish before giving him his new home.

Going from a lower pH to a higher pH is much less stressful to a fish than going from a higher pH to a lower pH.

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright