Whats the ideal ph for an asian arow?

Arrow

Arrow

New Member
Just wondering what the ideal ph is for a SR arowana?

I think I remember it being just under 7?

My ph is 6.8 out of the tap but rises to a stable 7.6 in the tank.
Is this safe since it doesnt fluctuate or should I shoot for 6.8?

If 6.8 then whats the safest way to do so without chemicals and risking ph swings?
The tank is bare bottom with only 2 peices of driftwood, a softball size of lava rock and a small clay pot used upside down to house a fake plant.

I was thinking of using peat pellets but am not sure how much to use if any at all?
 
R

RTG_Gerry

Super Moderator
Unless your water is really hard, I would not worry about ph. Messing with it will only lead to inconsistent water parameters which will be more stressful to the aro than a slightly lower ph.
 
T

t.duong

New Member
Best to leave it alone.

FYI tap water in Singapore can range from pH 7.0-8.0.
Stability is always more important than so called 'correct' pH.
 
hustler

hustler

New Member
I keep mine at 8.2.....8.6 depending on the season..... When i first started years ago I did ketapang leaves....peat moss and discus buffer to get my ph to 7.0 or less..... All i did was make my water look like tea and stress my fish out. Now with regualr water changes or drip and no other additives for ph or hardness they flourish with hard high water.
the more simple it is the better bro
 
Arrow

Arrow

New Member
Thanks Hustler, I know how much of a pain it is to adjust ph and was hoping that a stable 7.6 would fine even though it is a tad higher than I'd like.
But the fish seems fine so I'm def going to leave it be.

I do find it weird that it drops since there isnt really anything in the tank but oh well, as long as their happy and healthy then I'm happy to.

Thanks everyone, much appreciated
 
R

rainbowfish

New Member
If your aro is eating and growing well, no need to do anything. But for red, some will prefer to keep it lower like 6.5-7. If you want to lower the PH, can try to use some peat, it helps.
 
E

EEYY

New Member
Inserted some crushed coral stone in the filter system (sump and canister).


Can maintain the ph level between 6.8 - 7.1 for the entire year. Only changing water per 2 weeks.


Also agree that reds could handle a lower ph level.
 
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GRANDDRAGON

GRANDDRAGON

New Member
I like to keep my ph at around 6.3 to 6.5. All my fish seem to have a better apatite and their colors come out very nice.
 
Joey

Joey

Moderator
My ph is 6.8 out of the tap but rises to a stable 7.6 in the tank.
Click to expand...

Thats not a stable PH. A stable PH would be 6.8 out of the tap and somewhere between 6.8-7 in the tank.

I Agree with most statements above... use what ever is stable, Aros like this, or that, i use this or that.. ect..ect.. I completly agree that you should use what ever you got, and dont mess with it.....

Thats not the point here...

Every time you do a water change with that lower PH, your causeing a PH swing in the tank... EVERY time you do a water change this happens.... Thats a problem.

PH doesnt go from 6.8 to 7.6 for no reason. Thats actually a huge change...

So why is this PH raising so much when you add it to the tank is the question that should be addressed.

There are many reasons actually... and im guessing it has to do with oxygen levels in the water. The ORP of the water would be higher fresh from the tap.. Once you add it to the tank.. the O2 is stripped from the water and used by the animals, and bacteria... This lowers the ORP, and raises the PH of the water. This happens because PH and ORP are inversely related.(one goes up, other goes down) Just doing a simple water change can cause this, but it generally levels back out befor you can notice it.
So what does this mean for your tank? Not sure yet.... it could mean a few things.

To find out whats going on... you'll have to run a few very simple tests.

Take a food grade container. Preferably plastic. Fill it with "room temp" water from the tap. As if you were doing a water change. Test that water 3X's. Once when you fill it. Then 12 and 24hrs later. Record the results. Very important to have it at room temp. (temp should stay the same for the 24hr period)

Then do a big water change on the tank. Be sure to clean all your pre filters out as well. Test the tank in the same fashion: Once when you fill it. Then 12 and 24hrs later. Record the results.

This will tell you if the change is happening because of the water source or because of the tank. Allowing us to narrow it down.

Post those results here.

IF tap water sample remains the same PH threw out the test, its not the water source

Also add: what size tank, tank stocking, type of filtration used, and temperature of water.



Good luck
 
Arrow

Arrow

New Member
I will be leaving testing the water in a 5gal pale, should I use prime as I would when doing a waterchange or test it pure?

I add prime as the water fills directly from the tap when doing a w/c
 
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Arrow

Arrow

New Member
Tap Water Test

0hrs-ammo 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, pH 7.6, HR pH 7.4

12hrs-ammo .10, nitrites 0, nitrates 0, pH 7.6, HR pH 7.6

24hrs-ammo .20, nitrites 0, nitrates 0, pH 7.6, HR pH 7.8

I used my aquarium only bucket for the test, may have had some residue on it hence the ammo reading after 12 and 24hrs.

regular ph was at max card reading, maybe over.
High range ph def changed .4 in 24hrs.

I already did my weekly waterchage a couple of days ago but here are some tank water readings 3 days after a 40% waterchange.

ammo 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5, ph 7.6, hr ph 7.8

Ph is the same in tank readings as in tap test readings, so is it safe to say that its stable?
Also are these levels ok for my sr?

Should I still do the three tests after my next waterchange since levels are the same?
 
Joey

Joey

Moderator
Looks good now!

Those readings are fine for your arowana , yes.

Keep an eye on your readings for a while.... and make sure the main tank is highly oxygenated.
 
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