# How to raise the pH up?



## uMc (Apr 12, 2012)

Hi everyone,

My brother's freshwater tank pH is too low, it's 6.0. How to raise the pH up? I preferred not to use the chemical. I just need to raise the pH up, forget about what kind of fish he has. the tank is 75 gallons

The tank just has the gravels that's all. no driftwood or other things.

I'm not sure if it's the right place to post this question. Please move to the right place if it was wrong
Thank you


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## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

Coral chips in the filter will raise it. Now why do you want to raise it, is something he is keeping having a hard time at 6pH?


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## proaudio55 (Oct 20, 2011)

I usually use potassium carbonate (buy it bulk from a DIY soap making store) to bump the Ph up. There's nothing scary about chemicals, just know exactly what you're doing and make the changes slowly. 

The way I understand it:
Carbonate + acid ion = Carbon dioxide and water
CO3 and (2)H+ = CO2 and H2O


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## uMc (Apr 12, 2012)

His flowerhorn was dead and now he wants to have some guppies. I checked the water pH and it said 6.0 which is no good for guppies.

The pH of my guppy tank is 7.6 which is in range of the guppy but not perfect. google said guppies happier with the pH 7.0-7.2, so how do i bring it down a bit? I know driftwood can do it but i don't know how big i do need. the bigger driftwood, the lower pH? is there other things beside driftwood but not chemical? my tank is 38 gallons with few live plants. 

Thanks


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## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

uMc said:


> His flowerhorn was dead and now he wants to have some guppies. I checked the water pH and it said 6.0 which is no good for guppies.
> 
> The pH of my guppy tank is 7.6 which is in range of the guppy but not perfect. google said guppies happier with the pH 7.0-7.2, so how do i bring it down a bit? I know driftwood can do it but i don't know how big i do need. the bigger driftwood, the lower pH? is there other things beside driftwood but not chemical? my tank is 38 gallons with few live plants.
> 
> Thanks


Yours will be fine in that pH, my roomie has them breeding out of control in a 7.6 pH. Don't go by what google says, go by what the fish do. Fish do fine in a huge variety of pH despite what google says.

Raising and lowering pH can be a pain as your water change water has to match to keep it the same, etc.


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## knuggs (Mar 5, 2007)

Run a airline it will do the trick.

Heres a reference link of ways to lower and raise ph: http://www.chelonia.org/articles/waterchemistry.htm


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

If you want to adjust something adjust the KH up. That will increase the pH too. You can add baking soda to raise the KH, but do it a little bit at a time, not one big change. Then you will be stuck forever trying to keep the KH at about the same value. That's why it is almost always best to let the fish get used to whatever your tap water conditions are.


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## uMc (Apr 12, 2012)

i love this and change my mind not to lower it


> Raising and lowering pH can be a pain as your water change water has to match to keep it the same, etc.


after reading Hoppy and GeToChKn. it just a pain to adjust the ph

knuggs,
thanks for the link.. good thing to learn


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## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

Hoppy said:


> If you want to adjust something adjust the KH up. That will increase the pH too. You can add baking soda to raise the KH, but do it a little bit at a time, not one big change. Then you will be stuck forever trying to keep the KH at about the same value. *That's why it is almost always best to let the fish get used to whatever your tap water conditions are.*


Yup. Most fish will do fine in any water as long as it's clean and stable, whatever the pH is. Shrimp sometimes need more specific param's but fish are pretty adaptable. Between me and my roomie we have guppies, platys, tetras, angels, crayfish, otos, dwarf frogs, betta, a variety of other on-sale community fish and all in 7.6pH tap water and I bet the range of them goes from 6-8pH if you looked but they are all fine.


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