pH high. Why WHY WHYYY

I realize this may not be the most dire of circumstances, but time is definitely an issue for me if I need to make any radical changes.

This morning at around 5am, I woke up to go to a clinical rotation for school.

I wasn't going to be home for a while, so I turned on my nightlights, then my bedroom light, then my daytime lights to wake up the fishies in not so harsh of a manner. (Two clowns are all I have at this point).

One of them didn't look good. I haven't had them for more than 2 weeks, so it's hard to say what is and isn't normal for them. He was laying with his belly on the sand, and didn't respond quickly to anything. Even Feeding time. The other clown couldn't wait to eat, but this guy just couldn't seem to wake up.

I was worried, so I checked parameters. Everything was normal, except for my pH. It was at least 8.8, if not higher. At 5am, that's not normal at all.

I added some water I had mixed the night before, and aimed my powerhead up to get some water tension breakage (changed 2 gallons, maybe), and had to rush off to school. BUT, in my haste, I made a mistake, which I'm sure hasn't affected much; I added a little buffer, which is meant to RAISE the pH, not lower it.. However, the buffer says it will raise the pH to 8.3, and no higher, so I doubt that had too much of a negative outcome. I barely used any (5ml treats 30 gallons, and I used about 2ml.) When I got home, he seemed fine, and my pH was back to around 8.4.

Tonight, I checked it again (10:00 pm), and it was again high. 8.8+

I just did a 20% water change, so it's back to normal, but am I going to wake up to a ridiculously high pH again? What is causing my pH to go up?

The only thing I've been adding recently that is different, is a frozen food from the LFS. I don't see how that could affect pH.

Tank Specs:

25 gallon,
25lbs +/- LR.
2 Inch argonite / live sand mix bed.
79 Degrees
Hydor Koralia 2
Aquaclear hangon filter rated for 50 gallon tank.
Poly Filter added (I suspected copper in my water source for a brief time.)
I use distilled water to top off.

I'd really appreciate some help.
I don't have any chemicals to dose with to reduce the pH, and honestly would rather not use any if at all possible.

If anyone comes at me with vinegar suggestions, please give me a mixing ratio, backed by experience.

Thanks everyone.
I'd buy you a beer if I knew you in person.

 

Typically I might guess that your calcium and magnesium levels are way low, since you're adding a carbonate buffer and your pH is going too high...do you have test kits for calcium/alkalinity/magnesium?

 

I have a test for Ca.

Not for ALK/MG.

I'll check the Ca and get back to you as soon as it's done. Last check was about a week ago, and it was at 450 or so.

 

Also check ammonia.....if the pH took that high of a jump, it's likely that the fish wasn't doing well because of ammonia. High pH makes ammonia much more toxic.

How often do you do water changes, and how much water do you change it?

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/june2002/chem.htm

RHF link... Read the part about high ph problems... hope this helps

 

Ok - so Calcium is 420 at the least.

Ammonia is without a doubt at 0. I tested it as well as nitrates and nitrites this morning.

I usually add at least 4 gallons a week of "top-off", but tonight was my first actual water change since I got the fish. Having checked my calendar and postings, I picked up the fish exactly a week ago tomorrow. From what I've read weekly water changes are the way to go.

I've set up my old eclipse 6 gallon tank with some water + salt that is mixing as we speak. I'm going to wake up earlier tomorrow, and if the pH is high again, do another water change before heading to the hospital.

I'm hoping that it should be normal. Within the next month I'm going to be adding a sump, and some nice plumbing to make doing water changes a lot quicker and less stressful for the fish and myself.

I have to be up in 5 hours. I'll check the pH when I wake up, and if it's off, do a water change. If it's High again tomorrow AM, then I will have no idea what is causing it.

Thanks for the late night support.

Goodnight

 

So, how long was the tank running for before you put in the clowns? Was it at least 2 weeks with rock + sand in the tank before the clowns went in?

Is the live rock a manufactured (concrete) variety or a natural limestone?

If the tank has been up for a little while, might something be disturbing/sifting a settled sand bed? A starfish, or some kind of snail?

Is the pH always spiking when you're just turning the lights on, or is it spiking any other times during the day?

Right now it's about trying to peg down where the chemicals are being put into the water column to spike your pH. Usually carbon dioxide buildup during the night will lower pH as photosynthetic organisms will put out CO2 at night after a day of putting out O2. Food will also usually lower pH. Kalkwasser and various buffers are the only real things I know of that you add that will spike pH if you're not careful, but if the rock is concrete and not natural limestone, there's a distinct possibility of it leeching from being too new and not fully soaked in freshwater.

I would definitely make sure you're getting a lot of surface movement of the water using your powerhead regardless as to the pH problem.

 

I think you might be onto something

The tank was up for at least 6 weeks, LR and Sand before the clowns.

When I put the rockscape together, I used 12lbs LR from the LFS, but I had some rock in my yard that is without a doubt a natural limestone of sorts. It is very porous and has some awesome nooks and crannies. I went through a rigorous cleansing / rinsing, but it hadn't been submerged in water probably for years. Could that be the issue? I've actually been wanting to take it out and replace it with LR, since it looks oddly different than the piece from the LFS, and I like uniformity.

What if I do this: I'll take a piece of it out - and place it in my spare 6 gallon tank I use to premix my water changes. If the pH in there rises, there will be no other reason than because of the rock. Is that sound logic?

 

I would definitely do this and monitor the pH in the other tank. I've heard of pH going crazy on people who had concrete DIY stone in their tank, it might very well be that the limestone that was siting outside is causing your issues. It could have had something leeched into it from the ground or rainwater.

 

So this morning, after the 20% water change, the pH is low! Probably 8.0. (this was tested at 11am, after the lights had been on for 3 hours.)

That is an acceptable range for a FOWLR tank, right? Even if it is, I'm still frustrated at how much it fluctuates.