# low ph... How and why??



## anonrider12 (May 8, 2011)

I just did my ph test and it came up at about a 6.1... How do I fix this I need it to be between 6.5 and 7... I have 20ppm NO3, 0 NO2, very hard water, about 40ppm KH... Some help would be greatly appreciated... None of the fish seem stressed they all swim around perfectly fine and happy...


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## Arthur7 (Feb 22, 2013)

Put into a piece of chalk or coral. Stabilizes the pH for a long time. In your desired area.


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## anonrider12 (May 8, 2011)

What kind of chalk? Just like a piece of that decorative coal?


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## Arthur7 (Feb 22, 2013)

Cretaceous of chalk cliffs by the sea. Or from corals. Not the decorative chalk. This is plaster or marble. This is not good.
The stone is with time reduced. It dissolves slowly. At some point, it must be replaced.


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## anonrider12 (May 8, 2011)

Lol I meant coral... Mis type... Hmm I'll have to find out out where I can get some of that stuff that you're talking about! Thanks for all your help. If you have any more suggestions I'd greatly appreciate them lol


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Why do you need it raised? If it is stable leave it be, the tetras for one are loving it.


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## anonrider12 (May 8, 2011)

Isnt that ph level low for some of the fish i have?


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

If it is stable they will be fine. The fluctuations is the problem most run into.


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## anonrider12 (May 8, 2011)

So as long as my fish look and act healthy I shouldn't worry to much about it?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I wouldn't worry about it,especially with so many tetras,and the rams,but keep up on regular waterchanges so it doesn't crash .Considering how high your kh is(40 really?) your pH should stay stable,and crashing shouldn't be an issue,but you should change water anyways.


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## anonrider12 (May 8, 2011)

Is 40kh bad? I guess I forgot to say that is the parameters for my 55 gallon


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I probly mis understood! 40ppm? Not 40 drops(degrees)? 40ppm is only between 2-3degrees which makes much more sense with such a low pH.So the kH is good ,but you should keep up on water changes.
Does your 30g have different water(where the rams are)?


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## anonrider12 (May 8, 2011)

Nope it's all the same water, I treat everything the same as I do my 55gl. The only difference would be that my 30 has really plants in it. I'm in the process of figuring out how to make my 55 planted


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Planting the 55 should be easy enough, what kind of light do you have?


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## anonrider12 (May 8, 2011)

Right now I just have my stock lighting that came with the tank... Any suggestions on decent lighting and substrate to use that might look good? I was thinking about some sort of dark brown sand or black sand...


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