Discus fish tank requires 6.5 ph?

Question

Ive noticed that my discus color have change to a darker color since I broght them home from the fish store. I was told they live in average 6.5ph water condition. I tried doing that several times but ph is still too high. Now water looks cloudy. Maybe I put too much of that PH down liquid but still too high. Does this have anything to do with my white sand? Maybe this white sand making my discus uncomfortable.

Answer 1

Sand can contain chemicals that riase hardness and pH and you are right that a light colored bottom in a tank can stress fish.

You will need to test both pH and hardness (especially KH or carbonate hardness) and add those values to the question before anyone can really help you get the values you need for discus.

In the mean time, DO NOT try to adjust the pH in the tank. It's FAR better to have it be too high that for the pH to be jumping around all over the place like it no doubt is doing now. That is the most likely source of the stress on your fish.

I have kept and bred discus and had to adjust my water conditions for them. If I can help you further, feel free to email me.

MM

Answer 2

The PH is an important factor if your going to breed the fish, as with most fish they'll live comfortably in a variety of different water settings, the main thing with Discus is that the water has to be clean the filters and tank should have had at least 6months maturing, when i say clean I mean Biologically, if theres particles in the water it doesn't matter.
Breeders often transfer the young once they've left the parents into raising tanks where the PH is about 7 as this is easier to maintain when feeding several times a day and cleaning each day. I even knew of a commercial breeder who was breeding and raising in a high PH and did an article several years ago about how he did it.
If the sand is inert, then the easiest way to provide the water requirement is by using R.O. (reverse osimosis) water, you can either lash out and get yourself a unit if you have the space to store the water or source it from a LFS who generally use it, by using a 75/25 mixture you will have removed 75pct of the calcium minderals from your water source, which will allow the water PH to balance around the area you want, by using 25 tap water you will still have sufficient minerals to buffer the water and stop any PH crashs.
I would be certainly suspect about the white sand though, the fact its getting cloudy as you rightly suspect could be the interaction of the PH down (acid) with the stuff thats creating your alkalinity.

As i say though I'd be more worried about the levels of ammonia, Nitrite within the tank.

Best test your tap water then retest the same water sample 24hrs later, then put some of the sand in a container and place the 24hr sample in there leave another 24hrs and test the water again, this should show where the alkalinity is coming from either from the tap water or from the sand, the point of letting the water stand 24hrs is to give time for any buffering agent the water supplier uses to break down.

AJ

Answer 3

Rocks, sand, pebbles, etc. basically raise the ph levels, while things like wood and peat will help lower it. Magic is definitely right in that your ph is far better at a steady higher ph than jumping up and down constantly. That can stress fish far worse than a too high ph level. If you wanted to try to slowly lower it and keep it low, you need to do it with something that is more "permanent." The drops are basically worthless because they aren't permanent. Put in a nice big, well-soaked log to start with, if you want to help lower the ph and just let what happens with that, happen.