A Guide to Controlling the PH of Your Fish tank

by Kevin Smith Author

PH levels are important for any aquarium or fish tank, but most people are unsure why. If you own a fish tank, you might consider it part of your daily routine to check the pH or even apply drops that raise and lower it. Why is this important? Does it help your fish? The truth is that most fish can survive in and even enjoy a variety of pH levels in their environment. So why are you supposed to monitor it?

The Perfect 7

The pH level of water refers to how acidic or alkaline it is, on a scale of 1 to 14, 1 being the most acidic. 7, which is right in the middle of this scale, is a balanced level, and water with a pH of 7.0 is neutral. So some people believe that your fish are supposed to live in perfect 7.0 pH water. However, this may not necessarily be true.

Some people also believe that low or high pH levels can disrupt features in your tank, leaving you no choice but to call a custom aquarium repair service in West Palm Beach, FL. However, this is untrue, and you can actually make your fish tank or aquarium worse if you change the pH too drastically or frequently.

Changes in Conditions

Water is naturally at a pH of 7.0, but the chemicals in your fish tank or aquarium's water can change the pH levels. People who attempt to balance the pH levels will use a monitoring device, usually implanted on the side wall of the tank, to check the levels, then adjust them with chemical droplets.

So do fish mind the changes in the water conditions? For an answer, look to the wild. Fresh and saltwater fish live in wild conditions, in water that may not always be balanced because of the changing conditions of the water. Fish have evolved to tolerate a wide range of pH water levels, within reason. They certainly couldn't live in something as acidic as lemon juice, but there's no chance of your water becoming that acidic without you fooling with it. However, what they can't tolerate are sudden and dramatic changes in the tank's pH levels. In fact, fooling with the pH can result is sudden fish and aquatic plant death.

The only fish that are particular about pH levels are tropical fish that are in their breeding season. Even then, the ideal range for almost all fish ranges from 5.5 to 8.5 or even higher, depending on the breed.

Let It Be

If you've noticed that you're losing lives in your tank, the tank is frequently filthy, even with regular cleanings, or your filter seems to be struggling, then there is a problem beyond your pH levels, and attempting to adjust the pH might make these problems worse. Don't try to medicate the water and put your fish through dramatic water condition changes. Contact a custom aquarium repair service in West Palm Beach, FL, to identify the problem and take care of it.