# Aqueon Shrimp and Plant substrate raising PH



## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

What are the parameters of the water before you add it to the tank?

GH
KH
TDS

And what are they after it's been in the tank for several hours to a day?

Only break it down if you don't like that the substrate isn't buffering. My guess is that it's not buffering at all, increases KH or the water you're using already has a ton of KH.


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## rob blanks (Aug 11, 2009)

Thanks for the response
GH 5
KH 3
TDS 116

It’s RO water in the tank with salty shrimp added per directions in the bottle.
PH still 7.6 on a regular PH test, it may be higher, but I don’t own a high range ph test. 




somewhatshocked said:


> What are the parameters of the water before you add it to the tank?
> 
> GH
> KH
> ...


Bump: I’m considering adding Fluval Stratum to see if that will buffer it down some.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Are you certain that's the result the test kit is giving you? And are you certain the test kit is fresh/still functional?

If you have any doubt, pick up a new bottle of pH reagent.

Additionally - what kind of rocks or hardscape do you have in the tank? Any sand at all?


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## rob blanks (Aug 11, 2009)

The PH test is fairly new, but I'll check the expiration date tonight, plus do another test. I found corroborating video on YouTube where a guy compares Fluval stratum and two types of ADA to the Aqueon. The Aqueon yanks his PH to 8.2, which is insane while the others buffer at below 7. 
I don't have a high-range PH test, never needed it before, but I suspect I'm above 7.6 which is as high as the regular test kit goes. 

It's crazy to me that Aqueon would sell something that's not at the very lest inert and market it as a 'shrimp and plant' substrate. 
Youtube link:


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## CarissaT (Jul 1, 2019)

What does the reconstituted water test at when left to sit overnight outside the aquarium? At a KH of 3 you should be getting a pH of around 7.5. If you are seeing lower than this in your other tanks with the same KH there are other factors existing in those tanks lowering pH (co2 concentrations, nitric acid, or other acidic compounds). Unless there’s something else in the salty shrimp mix that lowers pH. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## rob blanks (Aug 11, 2009)

Yup, I just retested one of my tanks, an it's a solid 6.6 pH. I just retested the tank with the Aqueon substrate and it's at 7.6 or higher still.

Bump: I'll prep a batch and test it tomorrow. Thanks 



CarissaT said:


> What does the reconstituted water test at when left to sit overnight outside the aquarium? At a KH of 3 you should be getting a pH of around 7.5. If you are seeing lower than this in your other tanks with the same KH there are other factors existing in those tanks lowering pH (co2 concentrations, nitric acid, or other acidic compounds). Unless there’s something else in the salty shrimp mix that lowers pH.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Wildly disappointing to hear a substrate is increasing your pH. Ouch. (other than Cichlid-specific in freshwater and marine substrates, I mean)


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