The Puffer Forum

Hi everyone,
I am new here and just got an aquarium yesterday and did the water testing today. Need help and advice on ph level...
my mini puffer living in low ph 5.5 water, will this kill my baby? how can I safely raise the ph level for my mini puffer?
Your experience and advice is much appreciated, thank a lot in advance!

Wow, that's practically straight urine! Is that what your tap water tests at?
What exact species of puffer do you keep?

Hi PufferPunk,

Is Yellow puffer from India. Its scientific name is carinotetraodon travancoricus.

Urine?? (T__T)
I didn't check my tap water ph...
My tank is small 14 litres, 3 drift woods (1 old taken from pet shop aquarium), 1 leafy plant with only 4 strands, 1 guppy. I have put 5 anti chlorine pills. Half push of potassium fertilizer yesterday.That's all. Anything wrong I did?

To raise the pH you need to either raise the KH or reduce CO2. To raise the KH you should add aragonite or crushed coral, and to reduce CO2 you can either add oxygen artificially or put in a lot of plants. Do this slowly though, I don't know the exact rate but it should be easy to find on Google.

Also, the wood is going to lower your pH. I'd find something different to decorate with.
Get back to me on your tap water.

pufferjw wrote: ↑Tue May 07, 2019 4:12 pm To raise the pH you need to either raise the KH or reduce CO2. To raise the KH you should add aragonite or crushed coral, and to reduce CO2 you can either add oxygen artificially or put in a lot of plants. Do this slowly though, I don't know the exact rate but it should be easy to find on Google.

Hi Pufferjw,
Thank you so much! I have placed a small coral and I checked, the ph have reached 7.

Pufferpunk wrote: ↑Tue May 07, 2019 5:34 pm Also, the wood is going to lower your pH. I'd find something different to decorate with.
Get back to me on your tap water.

Hi Pufferpunk,
Sorry I didn't reply yesterday, I didn't sleep the other night and was so tired. And, thank you very much! After you mention the wood, I went to have a goggle read on it. I placed a small coral and ph is now 7,0

Much better! I still want to know the pH of your tap water though.
I hope it is just a coral skeleton?

That's great, and yeah is it a coral skeleton or like a living coral? Hopefully not the latter lmao

Hi Pufferpunk, pufferjw,
I checked the tap water, the ph is 7. And yes, it is a coral skeleton.

Well then, there has to be a good reason your water turns so acidic. What is your water change schedule?

Pufferpunk wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2019 5:53 pm Well then, there has to be a good reason your water turns so acidic. What is your water change schedule?

It is a new aquarium, the time I posted this, the water is still really new, like day 2. Earlier, you mentioned the wood, I think it is the drift wood that caused the acidity, because I have 2 small and 1 medium sized drift wood in it. I plan to do water change ever once a week or once in 2 weeks.

How was this tank cycled exactly?

Pufferpunk wrote: ↑Mon May 13, 2019 11:13 pm How was this tank cycled exactly?

Well, it was not cycled or more like I didn't wait for it cycle. I got a new fish tank (it comes with water pump filter and light), I just pour in water, dechlorine it. Wait for while then put in my fishy, woods, plants, stones. That's it. The next day, I was told to put in some good bacteria, so I did. The reason I don't cycle/wait for the cycle of my tank is because since a toddler, I see my parents and my brother not cycling their fish tanks and the fishes has been fine for years. So I didn't do it too.

What "good bacteria" did you add? Cycling with fish is barbaric & unnecessary. Very old school. It can cause permanent damage to their skin/eyes/gills.
Have your family's fish lived into their teens?