cannot get my ph down

thereis10 · 10-17-2011, 11:29 PM

i have a 150 gallon tank that is a year old and has not once had a ph problem. When it came time for maintenance i found high ph. i had lost one fish but all others looked healthy. a week later i lost two more fish and my ph is still really high so i checked it coming in the house to reveal a PH of 7.8 which is exactly what the tank is at. my water usually comes in around 7.3 to 7.5 but is fine and since it came in so high and did not stabilize i used a chemical ph down treatment and had no luck. i treated tank for 480 gallons over the course of three days and it has not dropped AT ALL!!! I also am seeing a lot of brown algae growing but i know for sure that my nitrates are ok just the high ph. i dont know what else to do maybe spring for disilled water and try to dilute? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

susankat · 10-18-2011, 12:49 AM

Don't use chemicals to try and bring it down as it will just cause fluctuations that hurt the fish even more. The really only safe way is with RO water You can mix it in a bucket to find the ratios that you need.

jrman83 · 10-18-2011, 03:41 AM

There lies the reasons you dont use those chemicals. Usually that is when fish start to die. Why is a ph of 7.6 high? What are your maintenance practices and how often do you perform water changes?

majerah1 · 10-18-2011, 06:36 AM

TBH,with the PH having such a small difference,I highly doubt it is the cause of the death of the fish.Natural water PH changes all the time,and in my own tank,my CO2 knocks it from 6.0 in the morning to about 5.6 in the evening.I have very sensitive fishes and they do very well with the changes.

Brown algae is from diatoms and I have read its from an excess of silicates in the tank.Its just ugly to look at,but will do no harm.

madtyke · 10-18-2011, 06:42 PM

Hi, I dont think you have a ph problem 7.8 is OK, though a bit on the high side its fine and isn't what's causing your fish to die. Look for another reason, what are you nitrite levels like?

snail · 10-19-2011, 04:46 AM

I agree, unless you are tying to breed discus your PH is not too high and don't use PH chemicals, they are bad news.

10-17-2011, 11:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
thereis10 Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 2 Location: glendale, az Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 0 Times Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	cannot get my ph down i have a 150 gallon tank that is a year old and has not once had a ph problem. When it came time for maintenance i found high ph. i had lost one fish but all others looked healthy. a week later i lost two more fish and my ph is still really high so i checked it coming in the house to reveal a PH of 7.8 which is exactly what the tank is at. my water usually comes in around 7.3 to 7.5 but is fine and since it came in so high and did not stabilize i used a chemical ph down treatment and had no luck. i treated tank for 480 gallons over the course of three days and it has not dropped AT ALL!!! I also am seeing a lot of brown algae growing but i know for sure that my nitrates are ok just the high ph. i dont know what else to do maybe spring for disilled water and try to dilute? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

10-18-2011, 12:49 AM	#2 (permalink)
susankat Pleco n bn breeder n BOSS susankat's Photo Gallery Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 5,419 Name: Susan Location: Tulsa, Ok Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 4,151 Times Said "Thanks" 1,617 Times Was Thanked 1,809 Times in 1,549 Posts	Re: cannot get my ph down Don't use chemicals to try and bring it down as it will just cause fluctuations that hurt the fish even more. The really only safe way is with RO water You can mix it in a bucket to find the ratios that you need. __________________ SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!! 220 Tank build http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

10-18-2011, 03:41 AM	#3 (permalink)
jrman83 ....has no life.... jrman83's Photo Gallery Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 9,468 Name: Ben Location: White Plains, MD My location Feedback: 16 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 3,396 Times Said "Thanks" 478 Times Was Thanked 2,431 Times in 2,286 Posts	Re: cannot get my ph down There lies the reasons you dont use those chemicals. Usually that is when fish start to die. Why is a ph of 7.6 high? What are your maintenance practices and how often do you perform water changes?

10-18-2011, 06:36 AM	#4 (permalink)
majerah1 Wild betta tamer majerah1's Photo Gallery Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 4,296 Name: Beverly D Fincannon Location: Easley,SC My location Feedback: 13 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 2,736 Times Said "Thanks" 547 Times Was Thanked 1,129 Times in 1,014 Posts	Re: cannot get my ph down TBH,with the PH having such a small difference,I highly doubt it is the cause of the death of the fish.Natural water PH changes all the time,and in my own tank,my CO2 knocks it from 6.0 in the morning to about 5.6 in the evening.I have very sensitive fishes and they do very well with the changes. Brown algae is from diatoms and I have read its from an excess of silicates in the tank.Its just ugly to look at,but will do no harm. __________________ http://bountifulbettas.blogspot.com/ "Come to the dark side....we have cookies...and filters/heaters/and water changes!"

10-18-2011, 06:42 PM	#5 (permalink)
madtyke madtyke's Photo Gallery Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 175 Name: Chris Location: Queensland, Australia My location Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 123 Times Said "Thanks" 12 Times Was Thanked 41 Times in 40 Posts	Re: cannot get my ph down Hi, I dont think you have a ph problem 7.8 is OK, though a bit on the high side its fine and isn't what's causing your fish to die. Look for another reason, what are you nitrite levels like? __________________ Chris ¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><((((º> `·.¸¸..·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><((((º>

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10-19-2011, 04:46 AM	#6 (permalink)
snail snail's Photo Gallery Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,648 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 2,935 Times Said "Thanks" 363 Times Was Thanked 636 Times in 593 Posts	Re: cannot get my ph down I agree, unless you are tying to breed discus your PH is not too high and don't use PH chemicals, they are bad news.

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