| pH really high.... [message #8388] |
Thu, 27 December 2007 11:18  |
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Hi -
I have recently set up a future cichlid tank. I am using a 55 gallon tank with an eheim 2026 filter, and crushed choral for my base.
The tank has been empty for about 6 weeks now after completing its cycle, and is ready to go.
I have a bit of a problem. I had my tap water tested (didnt trust my little tester kit after these results) and my tap water ph is 10.4.
After the tank cycled (during which i did no water changes), the ph has stabalized to about 7.6, but I have heard many places that adding 10.4 ph water into this tank can kill the bacteria and cause a mini-cycle again...not to mention would be really stressful to the fish.
A couple of questions:
1. What would be the best way to lower the ph of this water without chemicals? Currently, I have been keeping a bucket of water and letting it set, but this takes 2 weeks for the ph to reach 7...
2. Will an RODI system lower the ph of the tap water?
3. Is that true what I have heard about the differing levels of ph causing harm to the bacteria?
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| Re: pH really high.... [message #8389] |
Thu, 27 December 2007 16:54  |
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i would suggest putting a good bit of drift wood in the tank that suck it out kinda. should help out some
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| Re: pH really high.... [message #8391] |
Fri, 28 December 2007 09:46 |
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Thanks for the response.
I actually live in Kansas City. As far as the water test goes, my brother works for the city water department as an environmental tester...which means he goes around the city all day and tests water at various locations. I had him take a sample of mine, because as you said, my kit only measures to 8.8 or something. They have some fancy 50,000 dollar machine they use to test the ph, and he said it was 10.4. I had the same response as you...I asked him if they knew it, and he explained some reason why it is that high...anyway, back to the water -
Most of the big box stores that carry fish around here (say like a petsmart or petco or wal-mart, etc) most likely do not use ro/di. I dont even know if its really a problem, but my last tank was a large community with guppies and things like that, and i was constantly losing fish and having problems, and the only think i can think of now is this high ph problem, that mabye it was causing mini cycles during each water change.
I obvoulsy wont buy my africans from a store like this..I did contact one family owned fish store and they said they didnt even carry an ro/di system, and dont use them....So I have no idea how thier stocks are handling the ph levels that are so high.
So what will the ro/di do to my tap water in terms of ph? I have managed to stabalize the tank water to around 7.8 i believe with the crushed choral - so i am not even sure what is acceptable to put into the tank - meaning, is 7.0 ok to put in, is 8.5 acceptable? Not sure what the tolerance is.
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| Re: pH really high.... [message #8392] |
Fri, 28 December 2007 11:59 |
 TxHoleyRocks 
Messages: 43
Registered: March 2007
Location: Austin |
Member |
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I had a feeling you were in Missouri. For PH with 8.5 Africans would be fine. Tangs would be more home at higher PH levels. My tank water is about 8.2 on a test strip. I have Mbuna's. If your water PH is settling at 7.5 you don't need to change anything in my opinions. Mbuna's and Lake Malawi are fine at 7.5-8.4. What matters most is consistency with your water chemistry. Example. I don't mess with any chemicals. What comes out of my faucet is what the fish get on every water change. If your doing a water change every 7-10 days then stick with that ongoing. Don't be going 21 days and then 15 and then 9 and then 18. It's just not consistent meaning your chemistry is swinging up or down.
Reverse Osmosis systems can be ordered on line like Ebay, www.mcmaster.com, Home Depot, or other sources online if you did a search from most common search engines. Really they are not expensive and prices are wide due to what you get. Storage tanks and how many filters you are using play in to cost. Hooking them up probably will take some time. I have looked at a few here that are in use and they don't seem complicated to me. If you've plumbed your own sump and understand sumps you can most likely hook this up.
A little electrical wires to be hooked up etc. $50 bucks you can have an electrician come hook up a few wires in less then 15 minutes I bet if that scares you. Also, someone in your neighborhood or one of your friends might know someone personally if you just ask around or someone might even know someone that used a service and has a card from someone. Side jobs with electricians too are easy $.
R.O. will take out a lot of stuff in your water. I don't have one so I am not an expert. I don't know what the PH is. I do know that it's some great tasting water. Best I have had hands down. I think it is PURE water. Ask your friend that tests water and he will surely break it down for you or do a search on R.O. in how they work.
Hope that is a start for you.
Tx Holey Rocks
www.txholeyrocks.com
Simply the best Texas Holey Rocks available. Your Cichlids will love them.
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