i just did a 50% wc on my new 55g tank. i need to get my fish moved over to this new tank and started testing the water. my pH is 8.4. my water normally tests at 8.8. do i need to add something to their water to lower the ph?

i just tested the rubbermaid theyre in right now and its testing at about 7.4...what is the deal? how do i fix this?

mine is at 8.3 and steady ..(not sure about 8.8 ) but you need to be on top of ammonia at all times with a high ph as it can turn ammonia into a deadly tocix form in warmer water ..post your water paremeters ,everything you put in the tank and what you have in the tank like types of rocks(limstone highers ph for instance ) and what is ph out of the tap ,and your kh ,which is a stabilizer for ph swinging ph can be stressful and you don't want it to dip below 7 ..I like the higher side if you ask me ..8.8 I'm not sure if it may be to high

ok so i have two silk plants that came from my old hexagon tank (rinsed them in hot water), some river rocks and larger gravel also from the old tank and a hollow log ornament with a bubble stone inside. ammonia tested at between .25 and .50. my tap water tests at about .5. nitrates and nitrites are both at 0. temperature is at about 70*F. i dont have a test for kh unfortunately. my tank water ph is testing at 8.4 and my tap water tested at 8.8. i use amquel+ and aquasafe with bioextract and i added 7 tablespoons of api aquarium salt to replace what i took out when i did the 50% change today.

8.4 is okay ..it's good actually ..I would test your ph in your tank frequently ...if it is steady at 8.4 don't worry ...but if you noticed it's a constant drop I would worry and get a kh test asap ,hopefully somone will chime in in the mean time that has experience with this.

Koko has a great pinned topic at the top of this forum about pH and KH problems you can read, but basically low KH can cause your pH to drop. I really would try to test your KH, since your pH is so much lower in the rubbermaid than the tap. There are things you can do to stabilize the pH, but knowing your KH first would help.

Having a high pH isn't bad (except as hi-d said about watching the ammonia), but having a fluctuating pH is. It is easiest to keep a steady pH if your tanks are close to your tap water readings, so I really wouldn't try to lower it in your tank.

Oops, I just read that again, is your tank at 7.4 or 8.4?

my tank reading is 8.4. my tap is 8.8. this is crazy. my 10g tank ph is 8.0. i have a 20g qt tank thats reading at about 7.4. how can my ph be fluctuating so much in each tank? *also - i have two terra cotta pots in the tank too.
and i just tested the water again and now my tank is at 8.8. which is what my tap is at.

..kh may be the factor here it's important to get the drop test to test it... this link may give you some insight....I'm no expert but I hope I can link you in the right direction http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/...;hl=baking+soda...... I also would get new ph drop test kit maybe your is out dated .and giving you false readings????..just a thought...liz another thought do you change all your tanks at the same time ????

i dont change all of my tanks at the same time. i changed the water in the qt tank yesterday. i just bought my test kit a week ago. i'm not sure when i'll be able to get a kh and gh test kit but i'll start looking tomorrow. one thing about my 20g tank...it was VERY overstocked. i had two guppies, two comets, one common and one fantail in there starting yesterday. it was just temporary until my 55g was set up and the guppies went to their new home.

liz that could be why it is lower than the others as long as they are steady don't worry ..

so if my ph starts at 8.8 (tap) and when i add fish it drops (my 10g went from 8.8 to 8.0 after like a day and a half) will that hurt my fish?

see mines the oppisite I start at 7.6-7.8 and climb to 8.3 where it stays ...I would assume any swingi n ph will stress a fish a bit during water change the further apart the more stressful your fish may eccimulate to the change over a day and a half I'm not sure though..things to watch for is darting around and flashing that is a big sign that It could be bothering them .. check in the morning if your ph is still dropping we'll need the big guns to chime in

i'll keep an eye on it. thanks heidi!

this is totally bizarre. i added my comets and my common and now my water tests at about 7.8. I DONT GET IT!!! i'm not severely overstocked with just the three so why is my ph so crazy!! help!!

Hi Liz.

The most important thing to do next is to get a drop test for your KH. Which kit are you using for the others? Drops or strips? If you are using strips I'd replace them with droppers - strips are really too unreliable.
I feel sure that the unstable PH must be connected to a lower amount of KH in your water (this is unusual in a high PH, but not unheard of). The thing is, that nitrate is acidic - so if your KH (alkalinity) is low, your PH will start to drop once the nitrogen cycle turns. This may explain why the most overstocked tank scored the lowest PH.

i just did a test now and my ph is testing at about 7.8 to 8.0. which seems to be a good sign meaning it's stabilized right?
when it rains, it pours at my house evidently. i woke up early(5a) this morning to water splashing...my 20g qt tub had split on the side and was leaking water all over my floor. so i'm now overstocked on the 55g. i have two comets, one common (all about 2inches) and one fantail (about 3-3.5 inches) in the 55g. not to worry, my fantail has been qtd for about 5 weeks now with no signs or symptoms. *sigh* i'm a little stressed by this whole ordeal.

*edit- i have the api master test kit that i just bought about a week ago. i will call the lfs and see if they carry the kh/gh test kit. not sure if they will, its a pretty awful place. if they dont, it may be about a week before i have that test...

You could also order online to make things faster.
It may turn out that you have a high GH but low KH.
Until getting hold of the KH tester I would monitor your PH daily and be prepared to make daily partial changes if you see it start to slide again.