My fish tank PH is 7.8 to 8.0 and stays there, what can i do?

Question

The water right outta my tap ( I got chicago city water form lake michigan) reads 8.0 in my 55 gallon tank I have a huge chunk of driftwood in there that brings it down to about 7.8. I have heard of leaving the lights off and putting in some peat but is there any other way to lower it ? I tried the chemicals when i first set up the tank before I put in fish and they didnt work ( used API 7.5 stuff) I assume becasue the water has strong buffers in it. Any suggestions ?

Answer 1

Unless you are raising some special delicate fish that require a specific pH I would just leave it alone.  Most fish will adapt to the water they are in and you can cause more harm by messing around and having the pH fluctuating.  If you aren't noticing health issues then just let it be.

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Answer 2

chances are the fish are used to the same water, particularly if they come from the city as well.  I would ask at whatever store you decide to buy your fish at what they do to lower the PH if they even do - chances are they don't either  - and leave it at that.  If the fish have become accustomed to the water at the store already, there isn't anything you should do.

Answer 3

I have similar water/ph and no amount of buffers/chemicals change it.  Using chemicals can leave the ph fairly unstable - can cause ph swings which can stress fish.

I use crushed oyster shell in a small dish in my tank to keep my ph at 7.5-7.8.  also add 1/2 teaspoon weekly of baked baking soda to buffer it.

Try hardier fish, but even the ones who prefer lower ph can live happily in slightly higher ph.  My neon tetras are happy and fat, but the ph is too high for me to breed them.  

Barbs, danios, livebearers, and others will thrive in 7.5.  though you may want to avoid many of the soft water tetras.

Just remember to slowly adjust new fish to higher ph, adding a bit of aquarium water to the travel bag at a time over 1/2 hour.

Best of luck!

Answer 4

As long As your fish are okay.  I wouldn't worry about it.  What kind of fish do you have in there?  I have had a  school of 15 neon tetra (which most places you read require a ph of 6.7-7.0) in my 55 gallon with ph of 7.5-7.8 for over a year and they are thriving.  Be more concerned about keeping your ph stable than lowering it.

Answer 5

Chemicals aren't a great way to lower Ph,  because they are just a temporary band aid for your problem.

Driftwood and peat are great. Also, try some shell grit. It lowers the Ph, and keeps it down. Add it to your gravel/substrate.

When adding new water, make sure you adjust the Ph before adding it to your tank. Leave it to sit for 24 hours to adjust, after adding dechlorinator and some shell grit/driftwood/peat.  

Answer 6

I would get cichilds. They love a higher PH. & a 55 is a good sized tank for them. I personally love them they have such unique characteristics & they come in such a wide variety of colors & syles. I keep african cichlids That are breeding. They have some interesting breeding habits. If you just don't want cichlids then I would buy a buffer regulator that is designed to lower higher PH or raise low PH. The stuff I use is called Neutral Regulator its a white powdered substance made by Seachem. Well good luck with whatever decision you decide to make.