My alge level stays at about 6.4. Ive tried to get it up to at least 7.0 but just cant. Ive tried everything i know of. Ive kept fish tanks for a long time and never had a problem with this. I am also having a problem with the alge in the tank. Ive got another question posted about that. Since we have moved into a new house in a different location with different water i just cant get the Ph up. We have had fish that we owned for a very long time die and new ones that have been put in die. The only fish in the tank are these 2 catfish looking things that used to stay at the bottom before the bala sharks died. Since they have doubled in size and taken over the tank. We have had them for about 4 years and they have made it through the good and bad times.....seems like they are the only fish that are strong enough to survive all the mess the fish tank is in right now.
Anyway, what are some good suggestions for raising the Ph??
2006-12-07 01:55:55 · 4 answers · asked by lisamarie_625 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
I wanted to have a couple Oscars and that's the reason i started trying to get the Ph right because i know they like a higher Ph. Getting my tank to 7.2 or 7.4 would be ideal. This started about 6 months ago after we moved into a new house and the catfish looking things have taken over!! I dont know what to do with them now. I dont know if i can put Oscar's in with them or not?!?
2006-12-07 01:58:41 · update #1
The "catfish looking things" are about 6" long. They have a long thick body with 2 fins behind their head that are about 1/2" long and 2 more smaller ones on their body and about a 1" tail fin. I dont know what they are. The have "catfish" looking heads. One is black and one is white.
2006-12-07 02:48:56 · update #2
Oscars are South American fish from slow moving streams. They, like most fish from South America, live in lower pH water. You said your "alge?" level stays at 6.4??? I am sure you mean your pH, right? That is perfect for oscars. Raising the pH is much harder than lowering it and you will have to give it constant attention to keep it up. Crushed coral substrate is one way that will help, though, if you feel you must raise it.
I hope your tank is huge, 55-75 gallons, if you plan to keep oscars. Oscars will want to grow an inch a month or faster (up to around 14 inches) depending on water conditions, and the water conditions in a tank that is too small will go south very soon especially with an oscar in it. They are very messy and carry a larger than "normal" bio-load.
Is your water coming from a well or from a city water system? Wells can become toxic to fish due to runoff from surrounding areas and still be OK for humans to drink. If it is city water, call your water department and ask them what additives they are putting in the water. Sometimes, due to a bacteria bloom, they will use more chlorine and chloramine for a while to curb it. Also there are other additives that they use that they don't tell us about unless we ask.
Tell the water department what problems you are having and ask what you can use to neutralize their additives. Here where I live, in this part of the country, we had to stop doing water changes for three weeks this summer due to a bacteria in the lake water that was harmless to humans, but lethal to fish.
A local, high volume, angelfish breeder sent emails out to all of the fish clubs in the area and then our club officers sent the info on to all of the members. We were lucky to find out about it. It could have wiped out many fish collections worth thousands of dollars.
Good luck. If you do decide on oscars, get a good reference book on keeping oscars before you take the plunge. They live a long time and get huge. They are great fish, though, and each has a personality of its own. They will start recognizing you and even let you touch them if you do it slowly. Make sure you have a good sturdy cover on the tank, too.
2006-12-07 03:37:19 · answer #1 · answered by 8 In the corner 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
6.4 is not that low. Like I said, fish can adapt to a different pH level as long as it is stable. 6.5 is better than a fluctuation between 7 and 7.5.
Baking soda will, however, increase your pH and kH (so, your buffering capacity). Start slow and record how much it takes per gallon to get your pH where you want it so you know how much to put in the new water when you do your weekly water changes.
Do NOT get an oscar, not because of your pH levels, but because of your tank size. An oscar needs 70+ gallons to live, not 40.
Before deciding what kind of fish you want, try to identify your 'catfish looking things'. How big are they? Long and thin? Short and fat? What color? Spots? Long fins, short fins? etc
You want to get fish that are compatible with your current fish.
2006-12-07 02:04:41 · answer #2 · answered by Zoe 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The only way to reduce nitrates quickly is to do water changes daily of 10-20%. Unless you are well versed in water chemistry you should throw away the test kits. I have had 2 years of inorganic chemistry in college and worded in a water test lab for a while in my youth and I do not test the water. I have had 100 or more tanks running containing 3000 gallons of water and did not test the water. The kits you buy are horribly inaccurate. By the way the Angels and Gouramys like low pH with low hardness. The loach on the other hand does not.
2016-05-23 03:28:56 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No... a low PH should cause less algae
2006-12-07 01:58:27 · answer #4 · answered by Jake D 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋