Guppies, like most living fish, are resilient fish that can withstand a wide range of water conditions. However, keeping matters at an optimal level of fluctuation will ensure that they will have a long and healthy life. One of the many very important parameters that you must monitor is the pH of the tank water. An extremely high pH means the water is more alkaline, and a low pH means the water is more acidic.
Why is pH important for guppies? Rather, pH can directly affect the guppy's health, especially its digestion and respiration. This article will test the preferred pH range for guppies and how one can protect them. You'll have a better idea of what to do if your pH is too high or too low, along with some common causes of an unbalanced pH.
Final pH difference for guppies
The best pH level for guppies ranges from 7.0 to 8.0. You should shoot in an environment that is moderately alkaline, not too alkaline. Doing so allows you to create a comfortable home for your fish, completely replicating their natural habitat.
In fact, your efforts to provide optimal water parameters will not put your fish's health at risk. Any adjustments should be incremental and made at regular intervals to prevent large changes in the tank's pH. You should use test kits or testing options to check the pH in your guppy tank and make sure it is within a good range.
Testing water can be complicated, but repairing damage caused by incorrect water parameters can also be much more troublesome. Then you just need to remember to buy the right figures and periodically monitor the best water quality to best care for your guppies.
Why is your pH range so high?
pH stands for potential hydrogen and is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a substance is. When your pH range is too high, you are often faced with alkaline water. That's usually due to a problem with the water supply. Are you using a water tank with success? If so, then there are also large amounts of dissolved minerals in the water. That is especially doable in the event that your country house runs out of water.
Typically, extremely high pH ranges can also be applied using tap water. Traces of corrosion in the water can lead to rising metal series as copper and zinc are present. Furthermore, municipal water treatment processes sometimes add alkaline chemical compounds such as sodium hydroxide to increase the pH range. In case you think your tap water is the culprit, have it tested and changed to a good filter or cleaned differently altogether.
Last but not least, aggressive substrates can cause spikes in water pH. Usually, it is a deliberate effort by the fish farmer to try to improve the pH level for a particular species. However, interested new fans may accidentally purchase a substrate that makes the water too alkaline. Common culprits include crushed coral and seashells.
How to reduce pH range
Although guppies like their pH levels to be somewhat high, too high a pH can lead to illness, stress, and even lack of vitality. If you need to reduce the pH level in your tank, here is what you must do:
Incorporate driftwood into your tank decor
Are you looking to enhance the natural aesthetics of your tank while adding an acidic water environment? Consider one of our favorite natural options – driftwood! Similar popular types like Malaysian driftwood are especially attractive because they will soak in water for long periods of time. The tannins that can be released by this type of driftwood will lower the pH in your tank.
While driftwood can also be an interesting answer, we recommend just taking a few safety precautions. First, look for sharp edges that could harm your guppy. Driftwood is a virgin resource, so these edges will be irregular even in kind or size.
Second, please test the pH range of your water early and last with your driftwood entering the tank. It can be difficult to predict how the pH and various parameters will be affected once your driftwood is added. Start with smaller extensions that can provide predictable additional feedback, allowing you to manage accordingly over time as needed.
Try peat moss
If driftwood isn't as pretty as you'd like, try using peat moss instead. Peat moss is probably not the most attractive looking thing in the world. It's brown, dirty, and never very attractive, but it certainly works well when added to another substrate. Much like driftwood, peat moss releases tannic acid into your tank water. This makes your water more acidic, thereby lowering the water's pH.
We recommend using the same small amount of peat moss each time. This serves two possibilities – aesthetically, you can open it up and reduce the amount of brown in your tank. At natural levels, in small portions it will avoid causing pH shock to your aquarium inhabitants. When dealing with virgin substrates, we recommend working with them a little at a time, testing as you go.
Use Indian almond leaves
Since ghosting sounds repetitive, Indian almond leaves are another good method of adding tannic acid to your tank, thereby lowering its pH. They are commonly known as catappa leaves and are a main ingredient in many betta fish tanks.
Just because you may test your water regularly when combined with another natural object such as driftwood or peat moss, we recommend performing a regular assessment each time you introduce Indian almond leaves.
Treatment with chemicals
The final answer we currently have to offer for reducing the pH levels in your aquarium is through chemical treatments. Typically, these are pH lowering agents added to pure, neutral water. For example, distilled water is often used to create a solution that can be added to the tank. We consider chemical treatments as the remaining solution as they will cause unintended negative effects to your tank.
The lack of research and regulation means that in any case you will not be able to be sure of the exact composition or purity of any product. The chemical compounds are also environmentally friendly, we strongly recommend that you try alternative methods first. However, chemical treatments may be the safest and most environmentally friendly option in cases where your pH levels are dangerously out of whack.
Why is your pH range so low?
In case you are worried about your guppies being exposed to toxins, check the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels in your tank. These harmful compounds are the main culprits that cause over-acidity (low pH). Things like fish waste and uneaten food increase the likelihood of these compounds accumulating in the water, so you just need to work on each factor to be able to keep things well maintained.
Another cause of low pH ranges is the presence of pure acids. Typically, tank decorations will leach these compounds into the water. The circumstances are completely different, extremely high levels of carbon dioxide will result in the end result of acid formation which lowers the pH. These environmental components can also be difficult to predict because they tend to return from sudden sources. Because of this it is recommended to check regularly on a regular basis.
How can one improve the pH range
Guppies prefer a slightly alkaline environment, so if your pH levels are too low, you will need to adjust them. Here are some things you can do to improve the pH level in your guppy tank:
Improve aeration in your tank
Water aeration describes a process where water is exposed to air, causing it to release carbon dioxide into the environment. The gas change that occurs causes oxygen to be absorbed into the water. This process reduces the amount of carbon dioxide dissolved in the water, thus making the water much less acidic. In other words, the pH of the water will improve.
There are only a few approaches to increasing aeration in your tank. Many people flip rocks to create bubbles, sending oxygen-filled bubbles into the water. Others want a traditional air pump, which can agitate the water and can improve the water's ground layer, allowing for more oxygen to be absorbed. Either way, increasing aeration or air circulation in the tank will help improve the pH range.
Add MacroAlgae
The same thing means that aeration lowers the pH by removing carbon dioxide, which along with macroalgae entering the aquarium can also help lower the pH. Think of macroalgae as a type of plant that helps remove carbon dioxide from water, just like vegetation in nature. Additionally, macroalgae absorb nitrate, which can help lower pH levels. We consider macroalgae as a pure filtration system that cares for clear blue water!
Although macroalgae can also be an effective technique for improving water conditions, many newcomers have difficulty with the right form and quantity. You will have to evaluate the type of macroalgae you are likely to use to ensure that it is acceptable along with your aquarium. Furthermore, only small amounts of macroalgae need to be added at first, as too large an amount can cause algal blooms.
Use baking soda
All of us chemistry geeks will love this. You should use baking soda to increase the alkalinity of your aquarium. Baking soda is commonly known as sodium bicarbonate. Sodium bicarbonate, when added to water, completely decomposes to form sodium hydroxide, carbon dioxide and water. Sodium hydroxide is alkaline so it will react with acidic compounds in water and neutralize them. The end result of the trick? Greater pH!
While most instructions recommend using one teaspoon of baking soda per five gallons of water, we recommend going a little slower and checking the pH constantly along the way. In addition, with a large amount of baking soda directly it can create extremely large amounts of bubbling gas and generate a large amount of heat. These are unlikely to impress your fish, but it's important to know the dangers of going too early.
Perform regular water changes
Everyone knows that maintaining a good environment for guppies will help them live a healthy life, but how exactly? Well, whenever you do a water amendment, you can essentially get rid of the “bad water” that is full of acidic compounds and replace it with current, neutral water. Even though you're not neutralizing the water itself, you may be reducing the acid content, which has the potential to improve pH over time.
We recommend regular water changes – a minimum of 10-20% of the total tank water per week – to ensure that the pH range remains at an optimal level for guppies. Sometimes you should do this additionally if you have to maintain a fully stocked aquarium. Furthermore, make sure to use a water conditioner when using new water, as this will help reduce the amount of toxins and air pollution in the tank.
Final concept
We hope this text has given you a better idea of how you can preserve optimal pH levels for your guppies! Accept to perform regular reviews and practice alerts every time you make any modifications! Besides your pH being dangerously out of range, it's important to make small, gradual adjustments so as not to shock your fish. Take some time to think about which technique is best for you – there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to this.
Thank you for looking and please share this text with anyone who may find it useful! Good luck with your guppies!
