pH
Basic info
The pH of your aquarium water is an important thing to know and manage.
Although pH naturally fluctuates during the day, you don’t want large swings. It’s better to have staple pH than a specific pH.
Different aquatic species have different pH preferences.
The most species like it around 6. to 8. pH, although it’s important to research your animals specific range.
To put it into perspective, 3 pH is where stomach acid is, because it’s very acidic and able to break things down. Our blood is around 7.4, and bleach is 11-13.
You can test your aquariums pH and other levels via liquid test kits. There are other methods, but they are usually inaccurate. The most highly regarded tests are API brand.
You can get the “master test kit” that comes with more important tests for a better price over all.
You often see
products like
“PH up and
down”
chemicals
like this can cause serious swings and shock fish. It’s better to naturally adjust it. To bring it down you can use tannins or RO water, to bring it up you can use things like crushed coral/aragonite or products like alkaline buffer.
KH is important to pH because it acts as a buffer for swings.
Why is my pH going down?
-New water
If the water you use to do tank maintenance top off your tank, water changes, etc. is low in pH it will change it overtime.
-too much debris
Sometimes organic debris will lower pH.
-Tannins
Things like Driftwood will release tannins, this naturally lowers your pH.
Why is my pH going up?
-New water
If the water you use to do tank maintenance top off your tank, water changes, etc. is high in pH it will change it overtime.
-Minerals
Some rocks and other materials can release minerals. You may be adding these on purpose to increase your GH. But these can increase your KH as well turn this ups your pH.
Deep dive
pH stands for “power of Hydrogen” testing for pH shows you the amount of free hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions in a solution.
Image from fresh flow aquatics on yt
The scale is logarithmic, meaning if you go down by one number on the pH scale that’s 10X more hydrogen ions. And if you go up one number on the pH scale, that’s 10 times more hydroxide ions.
7.0 on the scale is neutral. It has a perfect balance of hydroxide and hydrogen.
