VickiPS Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 A pH of 7.5 is perfectly okay, Snowflake. While the books say that a pH of 7.0 (neutral) is ideal, in reality bettas are pretty tolerant and will be quite happy with water anywhere between 6 and 8. What they (and other fish) don't like is sudden changes in pH. Trying to adjust pH by adding things like "PH-Down" can cause other problems, so it's best to leave well enough alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted January 8, 2006 Report Share Posted January 8, 2006 it's best to leave well enough alone and so say all of us! Like Vicki said, 7.5 is fine, for goldish and bettas. A pH of 7, ie neutral, wasn't called "neutral" because "it is the pH that fish must be kept at". It is just neutral, as a matter of chemistry. pH is a thing that applies to water, soil, and other things. Not just aquariums. It sounds very scientific though, so I think most LFS employees are unnecessarily obsessed with it. I would wory if you had especially low pH, as once pH gets down around 6 it can become unstable and just keep getting lower and lower and lower. So you're actually very lucky if it stays about 7.5. 7.5 may look high on a 'junior pH test kit" but have a look at the wide range pH test kits, eg the ones made by Dupla. They test in a range from around 3 (which is as acidic as grapefruit juice btw - bad news for just about any fish but it happens, usually by accident when a pH gets low and keeps getting lower) to around 10 (which is up around what the African Rift lake cichlids live in). So you can see, 7.5 isn't really very high at all. It's almost neutral, esp compared to a pH of 3 or 10! There are 5 pH increments between 7.5 and 8, and I think that each increment is 10x more alkaline than the one before it ie 7.6 is 10x more alkaline than 7.5 etc. (is it 10x or 100x uys? I can never remember). it's not until you get to 8 that I'd be starting to refer to pH as being "on the high side" and it's not until you get to 9 or 10 (what some people call "Liquid Rock") that I'd be saying you had a "high" pH. That's how I process it all, anyway. So you can see, (I hope) that you're better off not fighting an uphill battle trying to change the water you're naturally blessed with because trying to adjust itfrom 7.5 to 7 means making the water 50x more acidic, which is stressful to fish and suppresses their immunity and they can and do get sick. In fact, "pH shock" can kill them, if it is large and sudden enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted January 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2006 Thanks Lilli. My PH lately has been testing at 7.1 - 7.2 which I'm really happy about. I now might leave the testing for a few days and concentrate on the amonia side of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted January 8, 2006 Report Share Posted January 8, 2006 You must stop testing it! LOL! You are obsessed! Just let it be. They should make pH patches, like Nicabate patches :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted January 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2006 :) I'm am a little. These fish are going to cause me a heart attack! Went out this arvo and said to my hubby have to race home to check the fish out! My birthday in March, hope he gets me another fish! Lilli can't wait to see you at work. I have so many questions but by the time I get on Aqua I forget as I'm trying to learn as much as I can. BTW I have another silly question which might be so basic that you'll all probably laugh but I'll give it a go, I'll post it in the right forum. Please don't laugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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