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Confused about pH in new tank

1K views 7 replies 2 participants last post by  kitten_penang 
#1 ·
I'm upgrading from a 55g to a 75g. I set the 75g up a few weeks ago. I had an extra hob filter on the 55g that I moved to the 75g to help start cycling. I filled the 75g with part treated tap water and part dirty water from the 55g. After a week i tested the water (all ok) and added three tigar barbs that have been living in the 55g for a year.

Two days in they are fine. The end of day three two of the barbs have died horrible deaths the third looks a little depresed but otherwise fine. I retested the water and everything seems fine except the ph with is pretty high. Why is the ph high?

I'm not happy that the little barbs died, but the last fish in the 55g is my pet jack dempsy, Spike. He is my little buddy and I would be devistated if anything happend to him. The only reason I'm getting a bigger tank is to keep him happy.

Any tips for making transfer as stress free(for him) as posible?
 
#2 ·
it would help if you actually told us the exact ph and test results you got.it's hard to help when theres virtually no hard info to go on
 
#4 ·
the ph is very high 8.5 is more alkaline fw tanks are mostly 6.5-7.5. .it's good for brackish tanks but not so good for fishes that need softer water.try adding RO water to the tank till you get a lower ph.do this also during wc.
what perplexes me is most of the tank as you claim have near similar ph.
what are the test results for the new tank.ammonia,nitrite,nitrate???
is the water clear of cloudy?
after a week the tank could be not yet be fully cycled adding 3 barbs at once could have caused a problem or they could have died due to an ammonia spike which is common during the start of a cycle.it's called NTS
 
#5 ·
My part of austin tx just seems to have high ph. when i went to talk to the guys at the fish store, they said amonia wasn't uncommon in tap water here and the ph is generally kind of high. some times the tap water can have a ph of 9.8. i didnt even think that was posible.

as of now, the tank is a little cloudy but i think that is because took the carbon out of the filter to treet for the ick that the stressed caused in the lone tigar barb survivor. He is looking a little raggeddy but seems spunkier than befor. better appatite and using more of the tank.
 
#6 ·
is the meds causing it to be cloudy? i don't see why it should be just becoz you removed the carbon
 
#7 ·
i wasn't the meds that made the water cloudy, but i did a partial water change (20% as per the instructions) and replaced the carbon filter and the little guy was dead by the end of the day. i did water changes on the other tanks and every one seems fine. i guess that's just a danger of setting up a new tank? but it has been in some state of full and cycling for a month give or take. i am going to leave it set up and running fishless and throw some horn wart in it to keep it biologically active. any suggestions?
 
#8 ·
from what i know new tanks get bacterial blooms and that's normal.frequent wc always does the trick.letting it settle is a good idea.if it doesnt clear up do a 100% wc without vac. the gravel.fill it up with a spray bar.it should be clear.clean the filter material with old tank water and test the water.it should be fine.
 
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