Fluctuating Ph

[Guest Myrna]

Before water change I had tank water holding steady at pH 8.2, KH 6 drops, I was very happy.

I still have pH problem after using Buff Up.

Example, tap water 8.8, change water fell to 8.0 KH 2dps ,24 hrs. after sitting.

I add buff up and bring KH to 4 dps, pH jumps up to 8.8, let water sit 6 more hrs. still 8.8.

I do change adding back water VERY slowly. After change last nite tank pH is 8.4 KH 5.

This am tank is pH 8.2 KH 5. I would like to get KH back up to 6dps as it was before change, assume pH will go up along with KH.

Do you think I'm risking fish health with all this up and down pH? I think I am.

A thought;

Get pH up to the 8.8 in the tank add 8.8 tap water directly to tank, check and add buff up than to correct the KH?

I assume chemistry will fall after change, reason I'm TRYING to get change water same as tank water before I do one.

Its not working.

3 young Ryukins are doing fine as far as I can tell but concerned that fluctuating numbers will affect them badly.

Thanks for any helpful input.

myrna

[samoht70]

Sudden increases in pH will not harm the fish, but decreases of more than .5 pH are unhealthy. So as long as the water you are adding has a higher pH, you're safe. Is there a particular reason you keep the pH so high? It's not too high for Goldies: I'm just curious.

[uberleslie]

We're both in the ATL area, where tap pH is very high (8.8ish) but KH is near 0, so our pH in tank always drops between changes. Myrna and I are in the same boat with trying to keep pH as close to tap as possible so as not to cause weekly pH swings.

[samoht70]

That makes sense... I'm blessed with high (around 11 drops; over 180ppm?) kH here.

Perhaps some crushed coral in the filter would help keep things steady between water changes by continuously contributing to the kH.

Edited October 14, 2008 by A Penguin

[uberleslie]

Wooh, I'm jealous of your KH!

Yeah, I'm thinking about some crushed coral or trying fossilized coral. The crushed would work in my 29 gallon's filter (Emperor400) but thre's not much room in my 20 gallon's (Emperor 280).

Edited October 14, 2008 by uberleslie

[samoht70]

Our water tastes like minerals, and I can't stand the taste of it it it's not refrigerated and/or filtered, but it's great for the goldfish. At least it's not as bad as the water in Cambridge, MA: it tasted exactly like lake water.

Anyway, you could try the coral in the emperor400, and if the results are good you could add a small, inexpensive internal filter with coral to the 20gallon. I'm sure there's some way to make it work.