pH Buffer

What is pH?

pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline your water is. pH 7 is neutral (where most tropical fish thrive), pH 6 is slightly acidic (ideal for most South American fish) and pH 7.2 is slightly alkaline (ideal for guppies, platies and mollies). African Rift Valley cichlids prefer a pH of 7.5-8.5 which is very alkaline. Our local Harrogate tap water is soft as it doesn’t have many minerals dissolved in it. Although it comes out of the tap at pH 7, the pH can drop rapidly as minerals are used up by plants and the the biological processes in the tank. Find out what pH the species of fish you are keeping prefer and adjust your water to suit them.
If your pH is too low (acidic) and needs to increase, use a “pH up” buffer. You can also use certain rocks and gravels (any containing limestone or calcium carbonate) to naturally buffer the pH but this isn’t always the most accurate approach and can actually send the pH too high!
If your pH is already too alkaline, chances are you have the wrong gravel/rocks in your tank causing the increase. Try removing them and add a “pH down” product.

Test your pH regularly—it can change on a weekly basis or even overnight! If your pH is wrong, remember to correct it gradually over a couple of days as a sudden change back to the ideal level can shock and harm your fish.
*If you have tried to raise your pH and it keeps dropping to the wrong level, it may be that your KH level also needs adjusting.

Confused?  If this is all a bit too sciencey, you can't go far wrong by adding a dose of the pH 7.2 buffer once a week or adding Tetra Easy Balance - this should be enough to stop the pH sneaking around...