The Puffer Forum

Ok, i'll try to make this short and to the point.

1. It's true that the hardness of the water plays a part in the pH adjustability?
2. I bought API's pH 7 buffering powder but the highiest my pH could go is only 6.2 and by the end of the 24hrs period it drops to 5.1 !
3. For the past 4 days, i do daily 10% water change as not to shock my current MBU too much.

What is the issue iam facing here?.

My Seachem nitrate is reading safe.
Nitrite have not messured.

All iam asking is what are the contrubuting factors for the pH to keep dropping?

Drift wood?

Thanks guys.

What pH is your tap water? If it's that low, you really need to talk to your water company about why their pH is like urine! Fluctuating pH with additives & then then dropping like that is very stressful on your fish. Better not to add anything at all.

I did a little research cum survey on the local tap water pH value.
It's always in the rage on 5.48 ~ 5.58.

Does drift wood plays a part in the fluctuating pH?
Carbon in my ehiem external filter?

As we speak just now, i just checked 8 hrs my pH is at 6.2 and now its 6.07.
My pH meter is calibrated correctly.

Thanks.

Reading through my reply, i just relaize something!!!

pH value isn't dropping as fast as few days back!

I think its due to my daily 10% water change!

Few days back around this time the pH would drop much lower...


Things that makes you go hmmmm.....

What cha reckon?

StriGoi wrote:1. It's true that the hardness of the water plays a part in the pH adjustability?

It's KH, not GH, that is of importance for the PH. A low KH can give a unstable PH.

StriGoi wrote:I did a little research cum survey on the local tap water pH value.
It's always in the rage on 5.48 ~ 5.58.

That's low! No wonder you have problems with your PH dropping.

Does drift wood plays a part in the fluctuating pH?

Yes. Wood can lower the PH.

Carbon in my ehiem external filter?

Not as far as I know. Why do you use carbon?

when i posted about having a low ph, it was a dodgy test kit giving a wrong reading
could it be a possibility here?

Troender wrote:

StriGoi wrote:1. It's true that the hardness of the water plays a part in the pH adjustability?

It's KH, not GH, that is of importance for the PH. A low KH can give a unstable PH.

How can i have a batter kH?

StriGoi wrote:I did a little research cum survey on the local tap water pH value.
It's always in the rage on 5.48 ~ 5.58.

That's low! No wonder you have problems with your PH dropping.

So started from last night i added in the API's pH 7 powdering soda to have a stable pH 7 before i pour in the new 10% water change.

Does drift wood plays a part in the fluctuating pH?

Yes. Wood can lower the PH.

Guess i should remove them.

Carbon in my ehiem external filter?

Not as far as I know. Why do you use carbon?

To remove the odors from the water.
Is it not advisable too?

Thanks for the replies.

lesleyanndunn wrote:when i posted about having a low ph, it was a dodgy test kit giving a wrong reading
could it be a possibility here?

Initially i thought so too!!!

I did a double calibration check again and again to eliminate that possibility.

First i checked both my pH 7 & 4 buffering solution with a standalone pH strip before calibration.
After calibration, i do another check of the tested water with both my digital pH meter and pH strip.

Guess what guys, 5 hours after my first original post, my pH is still reading at 6.7.
Meaning to say it is dropping VERY slowly compared to 4 days back.

Time for my daily 10% water change soon! Yeah !

You really need to complain to your water supply company. No need for carbon, your water shouldn't smell--but with that water... Definitely remove any driftwood that could lower it further & stop using buffers that can cause pH swings.

what about the suggestion of coral sand to up your ph?
was suggested to me, and it does it slowly?

Great idea but I'm thinking he should still stick to small frequent WC, so as not to swing the pH too much.

Pufferpunk wrote:You really need to complain to your water supply company. No need for carbon, your water shouldn't smell--but with that water... Definitely remove any driftwood that could lower it further & stop using buffers that can cause pH swings.

Ok, initially i had 3 pieces of drift wood in it.
I removed one when the problem started.
I will remove the other 2 tomorrow.

But my puffy will not have hiding place and things to swim around at... LOL