# pH too high



## betta8 (Sep 9, 2016)

I am working on cycling my ten gallon tank for my first betta fish. I have been testing the water parameters, and so far the pH has been above 7.6 every time I test it. I am using Seachem Prime water conditioner, and have no idea what could be going wrong. I am doing a fishless cycle, so there isn't a fish to affect, but when I do get the fish, I can't have the ph levels too high. I don't think the water is softened, and I'm wondering if that would be the problem? Any help would be appreciated.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

pH level is fine.


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Mine is around 8. Bettas are fine.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Mine, too, is around 8.


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## betta8 (Sep 9, 2016)

Thanks. I heard that it should be around 6 - 7.5 for bettas, but they must have been wrong. If it gets above 8, would that be a problem?


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Stability is key. A stable 8.2 pH is more healthy for Betta than a pH that fluctuates.


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## ryry2012 (Mar 31, 2015)

7.6 is totally fine. Some members on this forum have pH 8.2 or higher.


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## betta8 (Sep 9, 2016)

Ok, thanks! Mine hasn't been fluctuating, so I'll just keep it as is.


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## betta8 (Sep 9, 2016)

I'm having another pH dilemma... I'm still cycling my tank, and tested my pH yesterday. It read 6.6, which is way lower than before. I thought it was good, as long as it could stay in that range. It didn't. This morning I tested the water again, and the pH was back up to 8.0. Do you know what could be causing that? I know that it's bad for it to fluctuate, but I don't know how to stop it. I'm using Seachem Prime, 20 drops for my ten gallon tank.


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## Dalloway (Apr 13, 2014)

It's normal for pH to fluctuate while cycling, you shouldn't worry about it unless it drops under 6. Nitrifying bacteria create acidic byproducts which is what is causing your pH to fluctuate. If it drops below 6 you can add baking soda or just do a water change to keep it stable because under 6 it can start to kill off the beneficial bacteria you're trying to grow. Are you testing your ammonia and nitrate levels as well?

The real danger with pH fluctuations is when you have fish and it fluctuates.


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## betta8 (Sep 9, 2016)

Thank you! I'm going to start over and do a fish-in cycle, (after rinsing everything off) and I was wondering; would the pH fluctuate when doing a fish-in cycle? I know that stable pH is more important than lower pH.


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## ryry2012 (Mar 31, 2015)

Do you know your GH and KH? The pH fluctuate can be something to do with water hardness. I know when KH is low, pH tends to go lower. When KH is high, pH tends to go higher. Aquarium soil also can cause high or low pH. You can do research about these things online because I can't explain well.


When I did fish-in cycling with betta, I didn't notice any pH fluctuate.


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## Dalloway (Apr 13, 2014)

It will be much harder to control with a fish in cycle and it will be stressful for the fish. The reason pH fluctuates is because there's not enough buffering elements in the water to keep it stable. Once your water hardness, or KH, is used up, the pH drops as ryry2012 said, because the bacteria are acidifying the water (low pH = more acidic, high pH = more base). 

That's why I mentioned baking soda earlier. A little baking soda increases the water hardness which will stabilize the pH without changing the overall water chemistry much.
If I may ask, how much ammonia are you adding and in what form? Are you using pure ammonia or fish food/similar waste?


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## betta8 (Sep 9, 2016)

ryry2012 said:


> Do you know your GH and KH? The pH fluctuate can be something to do with water hardness. I know when KH is low, pH tends to go lower. When KH is high, pH tends to go higher. Aquarium soil also can cause high or low pH. You can do research about these things online because I can't explain well.
> 
> 
> When I did fish-in cycling with betta, I didn't notice any pH fluctuate.


Unfortunately, I don't know my GH or KH, but will be ordering a test kit soon.


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## betta8 (Sep 9, 2016)

Dalloway said:


> It will be much harder to control with a fish in cycle and it will be stressful for the fish. The reason pH fluctuates is because there's not enough buffering elements in the water to keep it stable. Once your water hardness, or KH, is used up, the pH drops as ryry2012 said, because the bacteria are acidifying the water (low pH = more acidic, high pH = more base).
> 
> That's why I mentioned baking soda earlier. A little baking soda increases the water hardness which will stabilize the pH without changing the overall water chemistry much.
> If I may ask, how much ammonia are you adding and in what form? Are you using pure ammonia or fish food/similar waste?


I was using 5 drops of pure ammonia. I just took everything out of the tank and rinsed with hot water, though. I'm going to see if the pH is stable for a few days, then hopefully fish-in cycle Saturday. Thanks for the tips, though.


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