Comments on: Why Is My pH So Unstable and What Can I Do About It? http://rawfoodistguide.com/why-is-my-ph-so-unstable-and-what-can-i-do-about-it.htm Raw Foods Guide and Reviews | Questions and Answers Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jessica M http://rawfoodistguide.com/why-is-my-ph-so-unstable-and-what-can-i-do-about-it.htm/comment-page-1#comment-6153 Jessica M Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:12:34 +0000 http://rawfoodistguide.com/why-is-my-ph-so-unstable-and-what-can-i-do-about-it.htm#comment-6153 My best bet is that it's your driftwood causing this especially if it's a large piece. Tannic acid in the wood leaches out. Since having a pH bouncing around can cause harm to your fish so I recommend you remove the driftwood and soak it with hot water over quite a few days, if not weeks. If the piece is small enough to boil, then the better. What ever size it is, you will need to leach out those tannins in a bucket, tub, pot of hot de-chlorinated and conditioned water and let it sit. After 12 hours (obviously not when boiling or using a stove), you change out the water and re-fill. If you see a yellow tinge at any point, you know that the leaching is working and the lighter the water gets, the sooner you will be able to place the wood back into the tank. Good luck! EDIT: I would try using crushed coral or sea shells, but do it at little increments over a week or 2 so it the GH slowly rises and hopefully the pH will as well. If after that if you are still having issues, I would go with taking out the driftwood and soaking it more. Good luck. My best bet is that it’s your driftwood causing this especially if it’s a large piece. Tannic acid in the wood leaches out. Since having a pH bouncing around can cause harm to your fish so I recommend you remove the driftwood and soak it with hot water over quite a few days, if not weeks. If the piece is small enough to boil, then the better.

What ever size it is, you will need to leach out those tannins in a bucket, tub, pot of hot de-chlorinated and conditioned water and let it sit. After 12 hours (obviously not when boiling or using a stove), you change out the water and re-fill. If you see a yellow tinge at any point, you know that the leaching is working and the lighter the water gets, the sooner you will be able to place the wood back into the tank.

Good luck!

EDIT: I would try using crushed coral or sea shells, but do it at little increments over a week or 2 so it the GH slowly rises and hopefully the pH will as well.

If after that if you are still having issues, I would go with taking out the driftwood and soaking it more. Good luck.

]]> By: DanielC http://rawfoodistguide.com/why-is-my-ph-so-unstable-and-what-can-i-do-about-it.htm/comment-page-1#comment-6154 DanielC Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:12:34 +0000 http://rawfoodistguide.com/why-is-my-ph-so-unstable-and-what-can-i-do-about-it.htm#comment-6154 The driftwood is certainly contributing to it, and there could be a lack of hardness in your water source as well, which allows for faster pH drops. You may also be testing your tap water incorrectly. A lot of people test it straight out of the tap, but you should let it sit for an hour and then test it, to get a correct reading. The true pH can be quite different compared to the false one. The driftwood is certainly contributing to it, and there could be a lack of hardness in your water source as well, which allows for faster pH drops.

You may also be testing your tap water incorrectly. A lot of people test it straight out of the tap, but you should let it sit for an hour and then test it, to get a correct reading. The true pH can be quite different compared to the false one.

]]> By: Happi http://rawfoodistguide.com/why-is-my-ph-so-unstable-and-what-can-i-do-about-it.htm/comment-page-1#comment-6155 Happi Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:12:34 +0000 http://rawfoodistguide.com/why-is-my-ph-so-unstable-and-what-can-i-do-about-it.htm#comment-6155 the only thing i could think of is the driftwood, if you have recently added it then it will make the water acidic and drop the PH. but soon it will not affect the PH that much. if you are using co2, this will also have the same effect. my water is hard and the PH is 7.2 and when i use co2 it drops to 6.5-6.8PH peat moss, co2,driftwood reduce PH and make the water acidic. while rocks, lime stone etc make the PH higher. if you dont want the ph to drop or the water to get acidic then remove the driftwood. but i don't think it should effect your fish anyway, fish like the driftwood, if you have tetra type fish then this is good for them. the only thing i could think of is the driftwood, if you have recently added it then it will make the water acidic and drop the PH. but soon it will not affect the PH that much. if you are using co2, this will also have the same effect. my water is hard and the PH is 7.2 and when i use co2 it drops to 6.5-6.8PH

peat moss, co2,driftwood reduce PH and make the water acidic.
while rocks, lime stone etc make the PH higher.

if you dont want the ph to drop or the water to get acidic then remove the driftwood. but i don’t think it should effect your fish anyway, fish like the driftwood, if you have tetra type fish then this is good for them.

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