Need help with my ph its to low

topster79

topster79

New Member
I have had my 55 gal running for about 7 months now. In June i had an ick problem and i added copper safe, i know i should not have but i know better now anyway it killed all my inverts except my hermit crab. Last month i bought some more snails and a sand sifting starfish and the next day they died. The next week i bought another starfish, it died the next day. I went to the local fish store and they told me that the copper might still be in my tank, sand and liverock. All my water test been fine. They told me to do a fifty percent water change and add a filter to help take out the copper. So i did a 50% water change and added the filter yesterday. I checked my water tonight and everything was alright except for my ph its way low. I need to know how to raise it. I have a lawnmower blenny a sic line wrasse and two false percula clown fish. They are all acting fine. Tell me the easest way to raise my ph please.
Thanks Ronnie
 
dogstar

dogstar

Active Member
A 50% water change should have helped stabalize your levels so could be a bad batch/quality of salt mix. I dont know about copper filters so maybe it could be effecting your levels. Are you useing a different brand or new salt mix?
 
fishieness

fishieness

Active Member
run carbon, that will help with copper from your water. But it will still seep out of your substrate and LR, so you are going to have to run it continuously.
what is your salinity?
The copper could be the case, but acclimation is also another possibility... how are you acclimating them?
a 50% water change is pretty huge..... are you letting the water sit with a powerhead over night? This will make sure everything is stablized like the pH.
 
fishieness

fishieness

Active Member
Originally Posted by COWFISHRULE
make sure u have enough surface agitation.
wow.... i cant believe i forgot that!!!! good going! what turnover rate do you have? before i put a 300GPH powerhead in my 29 eclipse, i jsut had the 250 GPH standard filter and at one point my pH dropped to like 7.3!!!! I added a powerhead and all was grand.
 
topster79

topster79

New Member
My Gravity is 1.023, nitrate is about 20, nitrite 0, alkalinity 120, ph is lower then 7.0. Im going to get a copper test tuesday. The filter i got is called pura filtration pad its a total filtration. Im using instant ocean brand salt mix. So am stuck with the copper in my tank or am i not going to be able to have inverts like sand sifting starfish and snails. I gave a few coppods but not very many that i can see anyway. I ordered 12 lbs of live rock last week and i got it Friday and the lfs told me not to put it in so its setting with a powerhead in another tank.
 
fishieness

fishieness

Active Member
Originally Posted by Topster79
My Gravity is 1.023, nitrate is about 20, nitrite 0, alkalinity 120, ph is lower then 7.0. Im going to get a copper test tuesday. The filter i got is called pura filtration pad its a total filtration. Im using instant ocean brand salt mix. So am stuck with the copper in my tank or am i not going to be able to have inverts like sand sifting starfish and snails. I gave a few coppods but not very many that i can see anyway. I ordered 12 lbs of live rock last week and i got it Friday and the lfs told me not to put it in so its setting with a powerhead in another tank.

......i hope your pH isnt realy lower than 7.0........... did you mean 8.0?
 
topster79

topster79

New Member
nope its lower then 7.0. I have a power head that you can add more bubbles into the water will that help any
 
mikeyjer

mikeyjer

Active Member
Originally Posted by Topster79
nope its lower then 7.0. I have a power head that you can add more bubbles into the water will that help any
No, you don't want bubbles! Did you take out your rocks during copper treatment? IF not, you may want to either clean them real well or toss them. Get a bio-wheel filter or some sort of filter to run your carbon with. Siphon your substrate during water change, scrub your aqurium with scrub pads. All that should help to rid the copper. You need to test whatever water you were using for water change. A 50% water change should of help you to bring that PH back up. IMO, I would add some buffer to a cup of RO water and toss it into the tank. Another thing you can do to bring that PH back up is to go to your local grocery store and get some "Pickling Lime", mix it with your RO water in a clean bucket, run it with a power head and heater. Wait until the next day when everything settles, use what's on top, not the bottom(toss that out). That should help, it helps you to bring up your calcium too! Another thing you can use is PH up. By the way, I did copper treatment too in my tank, I ran carbon in my filter and did water changes. I now have inverts in my tank that's doing quite well. That's like after 2 months before I added inverts though. Had these guys in there for about 6 months without any problem. Good Luck! :happyfish
 
ricks280

ricks280

Member
i would check your ph with another test kit or take some water to your lfs before addind anything to the tank.(rick) :thinking:
 
fishieness

fishieness

Active Member
i agree that it may be a faulty test kit..... i wouldnt think an acidic solution could actualy hold live SW fish.
try getting another one or asking your LFS to do it.
what brand are you using?
it could also be a bad batch of IO...but im putting my money on the tester...
 
topster79

topster79

New Member
Thanks yall for all your info. Im planning on going to the lfs tomorrow to make sure its my test kits. All my fish are still doing fine so i dont know. Im still learning but thanks for all your help.
Ronnie
 
topster79

topster79

New Member
i went to my lfs and everything is alright my nitrite is a little high but other then that everything is ok
 
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