# Proper PH can this cause cloudy water? anyone else use this?



## Curt (Jan 13, 2011)

My tap water out of the tap is 8.6.. I assume this is considered really high for a trop community tank. I have been using proper PH 7.0 to keep the PH in the water down. This it has been doing very well. The ph test always comes out to 7.0 or 7.2. I know the water in Orlando is extremely hard however I dont have data to back that up.

However my water is always cloudy. I recently also switched from gravel to sand and the sand had settled it was cloudy then to. However now its a white cloudy haze again. The only thing I can figure is its due to the proper PH.

1.) Can proper ph cause your tank to be cloudy a day or two after adding it to the water?

2.) is 8.6 ph to high for tropical fish?

3.) what can I do to lower the ph and make the water more soft without pouring chemicals into the tank.


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## SeaHorse (Dec 27, 2010)

Hi Curt. I have read several posts in here recently from the "very experienced" and they say not to play with the PH in your tank. I have tried before myself and it is a loosing battle!!! My PH where I live is 8.4 and exteeeeeemly hard water. Everything gets a film of white on it after one exposure to it. Having said that, African Cichlids like a high PH, but are of a more aggressive nature and you have to watch who you put together. But if you want to do a community tank, buy your fish locally from your city/town because those fish have already been aclimatized to your water.... Unless your water is special in some way? Well water or city? 
Also as you probably know when you bring your new tank mates home you rest the bag in the tank for at least a half hour to regulate the temperature to the tanks temp and you add little amounts of your tank water to the bag every 5-10 minutes to help them adjust to your PH. Give the bag a little drink of your tank's water so the fish adjust. Today I visited a fish store in another city and the store had no idea what their PH was... I was not going to buy fish if it was extreemly different than mine but I did the "little drink thing" every 5 minutes for a full 45minutes and everyone seems to be ok. 
Unfortunately I can't advise you on the "cloudy" issue... I have only ever used gravel... hopefully someone else with this experience will chime in here. Good Luck.


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## Fish4Andy (Jan 15, 2011)

I used "API Proper pH 7" in my tank recently. About 2 days after using it there was a grey slime all over the glass, heater, filter, and gravel. It is a nightmare to wash off because it gets everywhere and it needs to be scrubbed really well.


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