how do i raise the ph level in a fresh water fish tank?

Answer 1

My first question would have to be "Why do you want to?". In most cases it won't bother your fish if the pH isn't perfectly at 7.0. Fish are pretty adaptable to pH levels from 6.0 to 8.3. Trying to change it may only end up causeing it to fluctuate a lot, and this is worse for your fish than a consistent pH that's a little off the "ideal" mark.

If your pH is outside that range, or if you have a species that is very sensitive to pH and requires a specific level, it may be necessary to make a change, but the chemical buffers (pH up or down) aren't the way to go. First, I would suggest testing both your tank and tapwater to see if they're both reasonably the same. If not, there may be something in the tank that's changing the pH already that needs to be removed. If they're the same but need to be changes, here are some common items that can change the pH:

what makes it lower: fish wastes (not enough water changes, not siphoning to clean the gravel - not recommended, but it can cause low pH), sandstone rocks with a high sulfur content, driftwood/bogwood, a mesh bag of peat in the filter; you can also add reverse osmosis water to dilute the buffers that are raising your pH

how to make it higher: seashells, crushed coral, limestone, marble, reef rock (you can test rock already in your tank by adding a few drops of vinegar (outside of your tank of course!) - if the rock "fizzes", it's one of these types

Answer 2

Baking soda works just fine. Its potent stuff, so don't overdo it. You can kill your fish by making too drastic of a change. It can buffer your tank to 8.6 or higher if you overdose with it. It will raise the KH of the water, which will in turn raise the PH in a couple hours.

I don't know the formula, but you're working with like teaspoons per 10 gallons. You'll have to know your ph, kh and co2 in order to judge how much to use.

Its best to only do this if your tank conditions are unsuitable for fish (like below 6.5). Do not micromanage your ph. You will screw it up. Most fish will adapt to your tap water if aclimated slowly enough. Even the highest ph african cichlids will do fine at 7.0 even though the stores tell you to keep them at 8.6 as long as they aren't shocked into the water.

Answer 3

I agree with Copper, you're usually best to leave the ph alone. A stable ph is much better for fish then one that fluctuates. Even minor changes in ph that occur too quickly will stress/kill the fish. Most fish we buy are tank bred as opposed to being wild caught, so they can handle anything from 6.0-8.0 easily. Here's a link though that gives good info on ways to safely raise your ph and other factors involved if you still need to:

http://www.drhelm.com/aquarium/chemistry.html

.

Answer 4

holy crap! DONT PUT BLEACH IN YOUR TANK!!!

Baking soda will work just fine and is safe for fish. Add about 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons of water (dissolve it in about a cup of aquarium water and then add it to the tank) and in a few hours test to see what the pH is. If you need to go higher wait at least 24 hours before you adjust again, fish can't adjust to pH changes very fast.

Make sure you attain the target pH of your fish and maintain it there even with water changes (best to pre-mix/adjust before adding the water). If you have cichlids the link below is really good for learning about their water chemistry and how to adjust it.

Answer 5

Here's your fair warning DON'T try to raise it. Keep it steady with regular water changes. You are going to mess up if you put anything mentioned above in the tank water. Trust me.

Answer 6

Just do a water change.

Answer 7

Pour beach in it.. or even baking soda...