# PH sudden drop



## Andarial (Feb 12, 2011)

My PH suddenly dropped to 6.0 from it's usual 7.0-7.2... The tank is a 25 gallon and right now I'm wondering if it's because I have too much driftwood in it? Does driftwood lower the PH, I can't remember. I am worried because that is way too acidic right? I haven't checked the other levels of my chemical balance if you need it just ask as I am doing it right now.


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

Yeah we need other levels. I doubt that is drift wood. What is the pH in your tap?


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## Andarial (Feb 12, 2011)

PH in my tap is 7.0 

The rest of my measurements have spiked, I was gone for a week and wasn't able to clean the fish tank so I assume that's what happened, just finished a water change about to recheck the water levels. Here are the measurements before the water change:

PH: 6.0
Ammonia: 0.25ppm
Nitrites: 0.25ppm 
Nitrates: 40ppm (normal)


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

What happened is likely "normal" but you do have a real problem here.

First, can you give us the tap water hardness? Check with your water supply people, some have websites with water data posted. We need to know the hardness numbers, which can include GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness), alkalinity, or mineral numbers, whatever is available. This will allow us to determine the pH buffering.

But aside from the above, you have fish requiring hard water or they will not be healthy. Livebearers. If the pH went down to 6 due to a week or two of neglect, it suggests the hardness is low and the increased organics acidified the water easily and significantly. You should increase the water hardness [even a pH of 7 is low and it is liable to drop easily depending upon the hardness], and we can discuss the best methods once we have the hardness numbers. It is much easier to safely and naturally add hardness than lower it.

Byron.


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## excal88 (Apr 4, 2011)

Hey, just had a question on this topic. My pH dropped from 7.8 down to 6.6 over the past 3 days as I added a C02 injector for my plants. My water is quite hard *info from the other thread* so just wondering if the decrease in pH made my water softer, or if its just due to the increase of C02 and the carbonic acid in the water. Just for some quick info of my tap water, kH is around 10-11, gH is around 10-12, pH is 7.8-8.0.


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

Your water is still hard. The drop in pH is just from your CO2, since it is acidic. Your water still has all the hardness it use to, just more acid then the tap.


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## Andarial (Feb 12, 2011)

I looked up a website and it gave me this for water hardness "In the City, the water hardness is 200 to 370 mg/l (11.7 to 21.6 grains per gallon)." 

Does this help? If not I can look again.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Andarial said:


> I looked up a website and it gave me this for water hardness "In the City, the water hardness is 200 to 370 mg/l (11.7 to 21.6 grains per gallon)."
> 
> Does this help? If not I can look again.


If that is correct, I am a bit puzzled. I would have expected more buffering of the pH (preventing such a drop) from water that hard.

What is the ph out of the tap? And when you say this occurred suddenly, how long since you last checked the pH and it was 7? Last question, what is your water change schedule (how often) and how much of the tank?


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## Andarial (Feb 12, 2011)

The PH out of the tap reads around 7.0. I hadn't checked the PH for a while, it had probably been 4 weeks. My usual water change schedule is once a week and 35% to 45% of the tank.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Andarial said:


> The PH out of the tap reads around 7.0. I hadn't checked the PH for a while, it had probably been 4 weeks. My usual water change schedule is once a week and 35% to 45% of the tank.


My suggestion at this time is to continue with water changes, you have a good schedule and volume, an dmonitor pH. Test pH just before the water change so you get a better idea of what is occurring in the tank. And always test pH at roughly the same time each day; the diurnal fluctuation means the pH in the morning will be lower than in the late afternoon especially in planted tanks.


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## Andarial (Feb 12, 2011)

Ok, thanks everyone <3 if any more problems arise I know where to go


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