[deiderarogers]

My water perameters in my tap water is PH: 7.0, KH: 196.9ppm, & GH: 483.3ppm
In my 90g tank it is, PH: 8.4, KH: 304.3ppm, & GH: 966.6ppm

My question is when I do my water changes, I use the rift lake recipe for the exception of marine salt, I substitute for API aquarium salt for freshwater tanks and isntead of baking soda I I have used the Cichlid 8.2 PH, I tried the baking soda once, and am now trying API PH up. I can NEVER get the PH in my tap water to come even close to my tank water. It usually only goes up to about 7.4 - 7.8. What in the world am I doing wrong. I am so afraid of doing water changes fearing that I may harm my fish. I do change the water at about 50% every 2-3 weeks and would like to do them once a week, but would feel much more comfortable if I could get the PH a little closer to my tank perameters. Also, my GH in my tank. Isn't this too high? I was hoping you guys could offer me some advice based on my tap water perameters what I could better try to get these numbers where they need to be.

Oh, by the way, my tanks consists of 4 yellow labs, 3 peacocks, 2 red fin kadangos, 3 copadichromis azureus, and 2 plecos.

Thanks,
Deidera

 

[Number6]

Are you measuring the pH on your tap immediately?
Try waiting for 24 hours and then check...

Golden rule: NEVER let water chemistry worries stop you performing basic maintenance. Way too much emphasis is placed on pH in this hobby when fresh water fish are just not that sensitive to pH...

That isn't to say it can be completely ignored either... just not the primary focus in fresh water.

One way to compensate for low pH tap water is to change the same amount of water per week as you usually do, but do so in many smaller changes as opposed to one or two big ones.
Hope that helps.

 

[deiderarogers]

Are you measuring the pH on your tap immediately?

Yes.

But thanks I will try this. However, should I discontinue using epsom salt since my GH is so high?

Deidera[/quote]

 

[Number6]

But thanks I will try this. However, should I discontinue using epsom salt since my GH is so high?

Deidera

I would not be surprised to see your pH at 7.4 or 7.6 after 24 hours in which case I would not be adding a single thing to it for Malawi cichlids. We'll wait to see on that, but in the meantime, I would not be adding epsom salts with a GH of that out of the tap.

 

[smellsfishy1]

My tap water comes out 7.0so I use the Rift Lake Recipe and my pH has gotten up over 8.5 and the gH and kH has gone up as well. So it does workalthough it doesn't seem to make the fish any more healthy or brighter or happier. Truth be told if your fish aren't wild caught from Africa they were bred in 7.0 pH in someones tank or in a pit in Florida. Sit back and enjoy the fish and don't forget the water changes, that's WAY! more important than any buffer mix.