PH meter needed?

[severum]

Hi all !! Anyone use ph meter for accurate ph reading? And how important is it to maintain accurate ph for breeding and color of tro? Finally if my ph is 8.3, do i need to increase it? Sorry for many questions and thanks for your response in advance

[ben]

Hello severumssk, I don't think there's any reason to buy a pH probe with most test kits being about as accurate as you'll need plus in most systems pH will fluctuate slightly between water changes as the trace elements are used up by your fish and nitrifying bacteria and I don't see any need to increase you pH any higher than 8.3 pH that's fine.

[Mastiffman/ Duramax7Man7]

I agree. I think that 8.2+ is just fine.

Was there a specific reason that you were anting to do this? If you want one get it. I don't see anything wrong with getting one. It's be cool to see how it fluctuates during the week and after water changes.

[severum]

Cause the ph of my tap water is ~7 and very soft as ~1dkh, I add Sodium bicarbonate, epsom salt and sea salt with 3:3:1 ratio at every weekly water change of ~60%. Using tetra test kit, the readings of ph, kh, gh is ~8.3, 9, 9 each. But I read in a article that the ideal is >8.5, >12 and >17. But someome said that the highest ph with Sodium bicarbonate is 8.3 so i wonder how I can make it higher? And should I put more Sodium bicarbonate and epsom?

[Mastiffman/ Duramax7Man7]

Gotcha. I would use Seachems Tang Buffer. You can acheive the results you are looking for with that stuff!

They have three great products: Tang Buffer, Cichlid Lake Salts and Trace Elements... all with dosing directions.

Those should all get you to the point that you need.

Are you using a resevoir to get you water to those levels before using it as fresh water after removing the old 60%?

[severum]

No, I dissolve all the stuff together in a small container and pour it to the main tank little by litte during direct tap water is supplied. I guess your concern is the fluctuation of parameters during WC. Will this be OK?
I also add some seachem Safe.

[Mastiffman/ Duramax7Man7]

Yes, that was my concern. Have you noticed any behavioral differences during water changes only?

[ben]

pH probes from my experience are very sensitive and need to be Constantly calibrated to give accurate readings, I've found the API high pH kit be just as accurate. Your very similar to me with regards to your water supply, from the tap I have 6.8 pH, 1 KH and 5-6 GH and I use bicarb and Epsom salt to buffer in a water butt for 24 hrs before a water change, bicarb does max out at 8.2 pH regardless how much you add. I water change weekly and have not found my pH to drop below 8.0 pH with only AquaOne coral sand in the tank as a stabiliser, during a water change my Trophs love the fresh water constantly swimming in the flow of water coming from the watt butt.

[finadic]

Mar 30, 2016 3:23:12 GMT -5 finadic said:

Feb 4, 2016 22:13:05 GMT -5 severum said:

No, I dissolve all the stuff together in a small container and pour it to the main tank little by litte during direct tap water is supplied. I guess your concern is the fluctuation of parameters during WC. Will this be OK?
I also add some seachem Safe.

I was reading on the Seachem instruction for the cichlid buffer that said add the salt first, before the buffet separately. It seems cause a chemical reaction if you don't and should not mix all together.

"TIPS: It is best to dissolve the buffer in freshwater before use. Use when setting up an aquarium or making water changes (preferably after the addition of Seachem’s Cichlid Lake Salt™) and between water changes as needed to maintain" then trace elements.

[finadic]

Apr 1, 2016 1:33:43 GMT -5 finadic said:

Mar 30, 2016 3:24:32 GMT -5 finadic said:

I always premix the Seachem cichlid salt, buffer, & trace elements separately with the cichlid salt going in first. These are the actual high & low parameters for the GH & the KH in Lake Tanganika currently according to a recent article I read with the GH at 12 -20 & KH at 10 - 15, hope this helps. Walt

Here is a link to the above article mentioned.

www.aquaticcommunity.com/cichlid/tanganyika.php