Stupid Ph Test.. Help!!!!!

[Pac-Man]

This pH test is so confusing!!!! i bought a master kit by like aquariumclinic or aquariumdoctor or something and it comes with these bottles of liquid to test pH. There is a high range pH test and just a regular pH test. Well, i tested the water with the normal pH test, and it came up with this blue, which seemed 7.6 on its scale, but maybe a little darker(7.6 was the highest reading on the normal pH). Than I tested with my high range pH to see if it was higher than that, and it came up with this light red color that didnt seem to match anything on the high range pH scale!!!!!. Why did the 2 tests register different things, im so confused... WHATS MY PH!!! thanks for helping.

[Fishfirst]

What does your high pH range scale test for? if it included 7.6 then it should have showed an accurate reading... it might test for pH starting at 8 and up... which would explain the color that didn't seem to match...

[Pac-Man]

no it actually had 7.6 but the color didnt match that...

[Fishfirst]

hmmm... try both tests again... you might have accidentally made a mistake the first time...

[fishfreaks]

Originally Posted by Fishfirst @ Mon Apr 04, 2005 8:17 pm

hmmm... try both tests again... you might have accidentally made a mistake the first time...

I second that, took me a few times to get used to this test kit as well.

[Damon]

WHile the kit is good (I use it) It doesn't accurately test for PH in the range of 7.6 to 8.0. You have to guesstimate your ph. Can be real frustrating when trying to determine your Co2 levels.

[Pac-Man]

THATS STUPID!!!! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KEEP TETRAS IF I DONT KNOW MY PH!!!

[Thunderkiss]

Relax First of all, check "how" you are supposed to read and make sure you were indeed doing so correctly. Some kits are meant to be read looking thru the tube from the side, others down from the top. Big difference.

Second, if you want tetras, you want lower than 7.6 only if you want to breed. I know there are a few exceptions, but generally, tetras will do fine in water 3.0 - 7.7. I have never had them in water higher than that, but as long as it's stable, they'll love it.

Now, that's not saying don't figure out how to use the kit But don't get all worked up over some silly pH kit and its convoluted color chart. They all suck, with the suckiness being directly proportional to the current want-to-know factor

[Pac-Man]

actually it looks like im in the 8.0 to 8.2 range. DANG! OK, is there any way i can lower it??

[Thunderkiss]

RO water, peat moss come immediately to mind. If you are REALLY good, muriatic acid, but i'd prolly tell you to shoot youself in the foot first, it's really powerful stuff, not to be toyed with, and a shot in the foot is about whaty it would amount to.
Driftwood will do it over time, but before you do anything above, what do you have for decorations in the tank?
Rocky decorations that is. And what's your substrate?

[Pac-Man]

ive got gravel.... ive heard of those pH lowering solutions. will they work??

[Vivid-Dawn]

The first time I used a PH kit, with the dropper bottles, I accidently put too many drops (now I know just how to squeeze it and when to let go at the end...usually just before the last drop).
I'd like to get a high PH kit, since my current one only goes to 7.6 and the water ends up being way darker than that last level. I look at mine through the bottle, under white flourescent lights (that's the kind my dad put in the basement).
But people keep telling me not to worry about it, whenever I get all flustered like that. I have neon tetras, and they've lived 2 months already (granted, I took 2 hours acclimating them)... so I suppose it really doesn't matter too much - unless, like said, you want to breed... then you'd probably want more perfect parameters.

Now, MY question for PH stuff. Can you get a high kit, just by itself? The only time I can seem to find one, is when it's packaged with the Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite box set (which is more than I can afford for another month). I really don't want to order off the internet, cuz then I have to pay an extra $5 or so for shipping... that $5 could buy me another singular kit! LOL

[Pac-Man]

will someone answer my question about pH solutionS??

[Vivid-Dawn]

Oh! Duh... I knew I forgot something in that post *ditz*
I've only tried two solutions myself, and I've heard that chemical solutions don't really work anyway. I tried Jungle Tank Buddies fizzy tablets... did nothin'. I also tried the "downer" that came with my test kit...also did nothin', even after four doses!

As mentioned, R/O water, peat moss, and driftwood are best - mostly, I'm guessing, as they're natural and would react much better than man-made junk.

[Thunderkiss]

There are better ways to control pH than solutions.

[fishfreaks]

Originally Posted by Thunderkiss @ Tue Apr 05, 2005 7:18 pm

There are better ways to control pH than solutions.

i think pacman want you to tell him what will do just that

[rutipz2]

I will testify to the peat method.
Slowly and naturally lowers ph and softens water. Acid works, but if the water is too hard it will rebound.
Just fill up a filter bag with peat and throw it in. Check your ph occasionally and pull the bag out when you get where you want to be.
peat is a bit expensive, but lasts forever.

[Lexus]

Never use those solutions, they are crap and they are hard on the fish because you will have PH swings, try a natural way.
I have tetras and my PH is 7.8.

[ron v]

Pac man, you're not getting good answers about lowering your PH because there are not any. It can be done but its not easy. You need to educate yourself about water chemistry ( GH, KH, PH ) and how they relate to each other. Do a web search. When you figure it out and successfully impliment it, please come back and educate us all. For what it's worth tho, I think the "easiest" way is with a R/O unit. Good luck.

[Pac-Man]

ay caramba.... it seems i will not be able to keep tetras....