How Fast Should I Raise My pH?

[Razor7]

Hello--

I have an assortment of African cichlids and a couple of scaleless fish and calculated that the best pH I can attain to accommodate them all is 8.0.

I purchased Malawi/Victoria Buffer and just received it yesterday. My tank has been at 6.8 and occasionally 6.2 pH and I want to raise the pH to 8.0 ASAP but not freak out my fish.

The aquarium is 29 Gals (US) with substrate and decorations, so I am going with 25 Gals of actual water. I did a water change yesterday and added 1 level tablespoon of Buffer. I will test the water again at the 24 hour point, but I doubt it will be at 8.0 so I am wondering if raising the pH gradually over several days is best?

Thanks,

Stephen

PS. I wish more local fish stores carried this product so I didn't have to pay shipping charges.

[Tech Support JS]

Razor7,

You are correct; raising your pH gradually over several days is best for your fish. I wouldn't suggest raising your pH more than 0.5 per day. Thank you for your question, and you can always use our Dealer Locator to find the dealer nearest you!

[Razor7]

Razor7,

You are correct; raising your pH gradually over several days is best for your fish. I wouldn't suggest raising your pH more than 0.5 per day. Thank you for your question, and you can always use our Dealer Locator to find the dealer nearest you!

OK--good to know. It went up .04 in two days with just one teaspoon per day.

I know about your reseller locater, but that only shows who carries Seachem products. Not who carries Buffer. All the LFS near me carry Seachem, but none of them carried the Buffer. I had to pay twice as much just to cover the shipping.

Thank you for your prompt reply.

[Tech Support JS]

Great to hear that its going gradually! And sorry to hear about your difficulty, but you can try mentioning the need for that product to your lfs so they can bring it in and be easier for you. Thanks again for posting and have a great day!