# High Ph reading...



## adanac50 (Apr 26, 2010)

So, in cycling my new tank, I am getting a Ph reading of 8.4-8.6?

Here is what is in the tank:

AC110 Filter (cycled, not new)
Crushed coral substrate
A few shells, 1 holey rock
No fish

Is this normal? Will the PH eventually drop once I add fish?
I wanted to add more limestone/holey rock as well...will Ph rise even more?

I will be keeping Africans/Tanganyikans in this tank.

Ammonia is 0..Nitrite is 0..(obviously)...I did a small water change now to see if it will help?
I will check readings again tomorrow...just wondering if I have anything to worry about?


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

limestone does raise PH, as does crushed coral. The ph dissolves the calcium, raising the KH\PH up to a certain level. I'm not sure at what point the calcium stops dissolving (Although this is vague: I'd presume some where around 7-7.5 since that's base - only a little alkaline). I'm a little confused why it's that high.

I've never kept cichlids, but if I recall correctly 8.6 is not a comfortable level for Africans, especially if it was fluctuating (probably not, check your KH level with a "KH drop tester" to let us know what degree it's at).


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## ckmullin (Aug 4, 2013)

know what the 'holey rock' is? Your ph reading done by chemical or electronic? Test your ph of your tap water...test ph of some vinegar it can be your testing so make sure it isn't. imo it's the coral substrate + (shells) and possible rock making the water more basic.


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## adanac50 (Apr 26, 2010)

The other thing I noticed is that my Ph test kit is about 5 yrs old...will that make a difference?


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## ckmullin (Aug 4, 2013)

adanac50 said:


> The other thing I noticed is that my Ph test kit is about 5 yrs old...will that make a difference?


yip it can. test known values before you do anything else.


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

That would make more sense, it's likely expired. It will probably actually be more in the 7.5 range I would suspect. Could be wrong though, wouldn't be the first time, and definitely won't be the last.

Keep us updated on new readings.


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## Dietmar (Dec 15, 2011)

Where in Surrey are you. I am at 144 st and 80th Ave about. I have an electronic ph meter if you want to bring some of your water here and test it.
Or you can bring it into any LFS, they should test it for free as well.


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

8.4 is a little high but its almost ideal African water depending on which species you are keeping. If your Ph test kit is working than hopefully your Ph will drop slightly over the next few days. Even with crushed coral and limestone you will most likely have to buffer your water meaning add salts and baking soda or buy the pre maid mixes by Seachem. BC's water is different than everywhere else so adding the few things you did will most likely not be enough. I know a few people with lots of holey rock and crushed coral in their tanks and they still have to buffer their water. I have 120lbs of crushed coral African substrate in my tank and I have to add Seachem products to keep my PH and KH high.

What is you KH reading? If your KH is low expect to see the Ph drop shortly.

Here's a couple of links.

Practical Water Chemistry
The Cichlid Recipe: Water Quality

These are the 2 products I use to buffer my water. Others like the home brews. Both ways work.

SeaChem Malawi/Victoria Buffer - 600 Gram 
SeaChem Cichlid Lake Salt - 500 Gram


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## Steve (Mar 27, 2013)

I keep my pH around 9.0 for my african tanganyikans by buffering the water with baking soda, epsom salt, and non-iodized salt. I use crushed coral as a substrate and have lava rock in my tank. Your test kits could be off if they are expired too.


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## Gone Fishy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hello,

Haven't kept Africans, but have cycled many, many tanks, started new tanks, started old tanks over, dropped fish in tanks that were filled that day......never had issues, took a lot of work but that's not the point...point is, if this tank is still cycling, why worry right now, let things settle, let your filter, and the environment that your building establish itself, maybe a few more days....then do some testing. I would definitely get a newer kit for testing values, even ones that haven't expired, with use, things get diluted, or contaminated, can give you incorrect values. If you want to place fish in there now, well that's different. Small scale ecosystems need time to develop and settle, adding this or that, then experiencing fluctuations, so add more of this or that to try and fix......all a recipe for disaster. Your an experienced keeper, patience is key. Just my two cents.....


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## adanac50 (Apr 26, 2010)

Gone Fishy said:


> Your an experienced keeper, patience is key. Just my two cents.....


Patience..what's that? . I've never had any cycling disasters in my fishkeeping history...but I still like to
hear other member's input as to what might be going on...that's the beauty of this forum.


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## adanac50 (Apr 26, 2010)

Looks like Ph starting to drop...tested this morning...8.0-8.2


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## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

What are you cycling your tank with? Without ammonia and/or nitrite readings - you cannot establish a nitrogen cycle.

If you are using household ammonia, it's a base and it would also increase you pH. It's hard to complete a cycle if your test kits aren't reliable, most have a shelf life of 2-4 years.


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## adanac50 (Apr 26, 2010)

Took a water sample to IPU...readings are as follows:

PH:8.0
kH: 3
gH: 22 (a little high)
Trace of ammonia & nitrite

Recommended to do a %50 wc..also bought some fish to restart the cycle..


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Your GH isn't that high. I'm still un-sure why your PH is registering at that level.

What other have you added? What's used, new, etc?


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## adanac50 (Apr 26, 2010)

Filter I am using from my other tank...substrate is not new either.

Did my Ph test a few hrs ago after the 50% wc...7.6-7.8


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

With a Kh of 3 expect the Ph to continue to drop. Build up the Kh to a higher level than your tanks Ph will stop fluctuating. The higher the Kh the better your tanks buffering capacity. Your Gh being a 22 is a little high. Bring that number down a bit. 

Heres some info from the article I posted

KH aka Carbonate hardness, also known as buffering capacity or total alkalinity, is a measurement of carbonates and bicarbonates in the water. It is best described as waters ability to keep the pH stable as acids or bases are added and almost acting like a sponge for those additives so they cannot affect the pH. Without adequate buffering, the pH in your aquarium will eventually drop because the end result of the nitrogen cycle is nitrate (nitric acid), which slowly builds up between water changes. With sufficient buffering the pH remains stable. For a Rift Lake aquarium, KH is ideally in the range of 180 - 240 ppm, or 10kh - 14kh


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