Just did a full run of tests on my tank and my ph lev was at 6.0 wich is a bit low. Is this harmfull it normally sits on 7.0 strat from the tape. and has never changed before nitrite is 0 ammonia is 0.25 and nitrate is about 10

Your pH will drop as water quality goes down. Increases in dissolved CO2 can cause the pH to drop too. Water changes and add aeration should help.

thanks

Hi Paul, the fact you have an ammonia and nitrie reading shows signs that you may have a small problem. most common reasons for these readings are
1, just cleaned filter and over cleaned it a little.
2, filter not upto the job and not coping.
3, filter needs cleaning.
4 new tank not fully cycled.
If you are not sure about why you have ammonia,nitries readings and need help please post more details about your set up,tank size,filter,fish stock and size, maintaince program and how you clean. also if you have a large amount of drift wood this will affect your PH

personally i would deal with the ammonia prob first. do a 30% wate change asap and follow that up with 20% water changes every second day. keep testing your water and keep changing the water until your ammonia and nitrites read zero.

as for the ph if it doesnt improve when your water is in check you might try adding some crushed coral into your system to raise the level. however you must get the ammonia problem solved first.

As others have already said, tackling the ammonia issue is your first priority.

As far as the pH, have you ever tried the bucket test on your tap water? Fill a bucket with tap water, stick an airstone in it and let it sit for a day or two with aeration. Test the pH at the beginning of the tets and at the end, to see if it changes. Often, water companies will dissolve a temporary alkali in the water to prolong the life of the pipes (a form of protection from the acidic damage to the pipes). Once the water is no longer under pressure, the alkali dissolves out and he pH drops. This may explain your pH drop.

Ammonia is the real concern at the moment, though, not pH.

thanks for all the advice i have the ammonia prob set nitrite is 0 amm=0 nitrate=0.5.I have been doing 30% to 50% once a week changes sins i got him but the ph comes down after a few days.I did add a new piece to the tank wich i have since removed i bought it from a pet store but its all i can think of to change.This is not a prob i had from the start just started recentley first month and a half i had him the ph never moved of 7.0 he is sick and not improving much even with myxazin and melafix so i thought it must be the ph cant think of anything else.i will wait and see if taking the item out of the tank helps if not i'll try coral.I also have to air rocks in the tank and no real plants

now you have ammonia under control you may be how to cut down on your water changes. Or do smaller changes over a few days. This will prevent sudden high and lows in PH due to large water changes. A PH of 6 is low but a sudden changing PH will affect your fish more than a low one. have you tested a sample of tap water and let it stand for a few days then retest?? also are you definitely using the right PH kit. they do come in low,medium,high PH level. sorry but just checking all. lastly remove bog wood if you have any.

No i have not done any standing water tests yet but i will do one very soon. I have droped to 30% changes once a week and no i dont have any wood in the tank.

Oh yeah i'm using the api freshwater master test kit that i got from my local aquarium and there are 2 card in the pack (freshwater hp) ranges from 6.0 to 7.6 and (freshwater high range ph) ranges from7.4 to 8.8 i have been using the lower of the two and it has been fine its strang all up the tank has been going like 4 months ick has been in it like 3 of those and never before had the hp move of 7.0

Good work with the ammonia control Paul.

It's not a bad thing to have pH at 6.0 per se.

The dropping in pH from 7.0 to 6.0 is worrisome though.

Remember that pH stability is what we should keep our eyes on, more than the pH value itself.

I would suggest you get two more liquid reagent tests for hardness/alkalinity: GH and KH. This are test that assess the buffering capacity of your tank's water.

To give you an idea: at 4 dGH and/or 2 dKH your tank is vulnerable, below that, I would consider it unstable.

You could address this by adding trace minerals commercially available at most LFS.

Or you could work with DIY recipes if you have the means, time and care to go this way.

If you get your GH and KH tests, please post your readings so we can find a way to prevent drops like this one happening again in your tank.


Pepe
Santo Domingo