# pH ELP!



## agresfish (Mar 2, 2011)

Hi everyone. Im having some troubles with my pH going through the roof! I recently changed my gravel to sand and added a bunch of rocks. I tested the rocks with white vinegar before placing them and i had no reactions at all. The sand i bought was National Geographic™ Aquarium Substrate which i know can effect the pH so i also bought API Proper pH 8.2. 

The API stuff works but not for long then the pH rebounds and all my fish lay at the bottom of my aquarium and they havent eaten for 2 days!

Really need some help with this on any solutions. 

Has anyone used API Proper pH and how often can i add it? 

WIll the pH eventually stabilize? 

Ammonia and nitrates are perfect.


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## agresfish (Mar 2, 2011)

P.S. the fish are African cichlids if that makes any difference


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

african cichlids are good with high PH. some people keeps them at ph 9. one thing that you don't want to do is playing(?) with PH too much. it is more important to keep ph stable than dialing PH to what you want/need. ph swing is really harmful to any fish.

I killed so many apistos by playing with it too much. good luck!


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## agresfish (Mar 2, 2011)

Unfortunately 9 is still lower then what its going up to. Its so blue on the test its not even on the chart. They surely do not like it at all or they all would not be sitting on the bottom of the tank not eating for days.


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

Maybe They are not happy because PH swings from 8.2 to 9+ constantly... Because you checked rocks, maybe you can change the sand again?


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

I am by far an expert on this but what is your Carbonate Hardness (KH) or do you test it? If it is low or 0 it could be one of the reasons you are getting a ph bounce. It explains the KH/Ph relationship best in the link below in the Carbonate Hardness (KH) section

Water Chemistry: pH, GH and KH What are they all? - Scott Thomson


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

Going down is very hard on fish. Going up is safer as long as not too much at once. I think your bounces trying to go down is doing more harm than good.must be the sand .


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

I think maybe if you could list all the stuff you've put in the your tank it might help pin point what the issues are. Could try taking out the rocks and see if that changes the water parameters. For African cichids, a higher pH is ok, but as the others have said, stability is more important than absolute pH values. When I kept African cichlids, I used Aragonite sand, crushed coral...those substrates would help keep the pH into the 8's. Also, if you are really concerned and the fish are not doing well, just keep up with more water changes until you can stabilize things.


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## MEDHBSI (Sep 4, 2011)

Try not t control anything with chemicals. They should be a last resort. I also agree heck you kh if it's low it will mess with your ph.

Buy a new test kit sometimes they go bad.


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## agresfish (Mar 2, 2011)

Unfortunately i lost 7 of my 12 cichlids while at work. Came home to most of them dead..... The water had turned very yellow. I pulled out the rocks and found some orange stuff that has seeped out of it. When i originally put them in there was defiantly no orange. 

I had no choice but to completely drain the tank and start over. 3 of the surviver are doing good in it, eating again already. 1 actually died when i moved them to a med tank but came back 5 minutes later and is swimming around in the med tank. One is still laying on the bottom of the med tank but i think it will make it. Going to leave the two in the med tank for a day or two and hope they both make it.

Anyone know what would have been inside a rock that would come out like that? I was told the rock is granite but im not sure..


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## MEDHBSI (Sep 4, 2011)

Granite can sometimes have veins of soft rock material that will dissolve into the water. At least that's what I've read


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## agresfish (Mar 2, 2011)

MEDHBSI said:


> Granite can sometimes have veins of soft rock material that will dissolve into the water. At least that's what I've read


would that poison fish? i assume it isnt very good for them


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Pics of the rocks would help identify if they are the problem.


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## agresfish (Mar 2, 2011)

2wheelsx2 said:


> Pics of the rocks would help identify if they are the problem.


ill have to take them tomorrow. I put the rocks in a bucket in the kids room and they are sleeping.


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