High ph...

[Rollies wonder garden]

I can't get my ph down. I'm always in the high 9 range. All the other tests are perfect, ammonia, phosphate, nitrites I have a new API master test kit. My pond is around 3400 gallons, we get enough rain so I seldom need to top it off with municipal water which tests out around 7.5. We had 3 inches in about 12 hours and it didn't make a difference. I've even tried a slow muriatic acid drip for several days with no real change. The pond is lined with granite with river wash on the bottom which has limestone in it. The waterfall has a limestone spillway and the stream has two limestone mirror stones. Is that what's keeping my high ph? I have Shubunkins which seam to be healthy, they've been busy making little ones all summer.

Thanks...

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Limestone Is highly insoluble in water. It is what is in the water that may or may not disassociate the limestone at the surface of the rock. For instance, if he CO2 level is high, then carbonic acid is present at a sufficient level to cause dissassociation.
Are the fish OK? Are the aquatic plants growing as expected? If the answer is yes to both of these questions, then I question your pH Test kit. Goldfish will begin to show signs of stress at a pH of 9 and there are very few aquatic plants that will thrive at a pH level this high.

 

[Gemma]

My ph has always been that high and I don't try to lower it cause I was told that coul;d cause more harm to the fish than the steady high ph

 

[Meyer Jordan]

My ph has always been that high and I don't try to lower it cause I was told that coul;d cause more harm to the fish than the steady high ph

Your pH is 9+?

 

[Gemma]

Your pH is 9+?

9

 

[Meyer Jordan]

9

9 is high, but Rollies wonder garden stated in the opening post that their pH was in the high 9's. That is almost 10 times more alkaline than yours.

 

[Gemma]

9 is high, but Rollies wonder garden stated in the opening post that their pH was in the high 9's. That is almost 10 times more alkaline than yours.

I really don't know exactly how high mine is, I say "9.0" cause that's the very last reading on my test card (Pondcare Master Liquid Test Kit)
...but either way, fish and plants seem to do fine, so I don't want to take risks trying to lower it!

 

[DoDad]

Add baking soda this will bring down the ph to 8.3

 

[budgenator]

API master test kit's high range pH test only goes up to 8.8, I was concerned when my pond's water had a pH reading of 8.8 a couple weeks ago, this week is 8.4; I think Rollies wonder garden has misread something.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Just curious. Why does it seem that most hobbyist ponds, especially dedicated Koi ponds, have a pH in the 8's. Are that many commercial water sources that Alkaline? Or is this a preferential thing?
Cyprinids prefer a pH of 7.4 - 7.6. Why keep it above 8?

 

[audioenvy]

Just curious. Why does it seem that most hobbyist ponds, especially dedicated Koi ponds, have a pH in the 8's. Are that many commercial water sources that Alkaline? Or is this a preferential thing?
Cyprinids prefer a pH of 7.4 - 7.6. Why keep it above 8?

Sorry for the dumb question but if the water coming out of my garden hose is 8.5 should I do something to lower it and if so what do I use and is it permanent (i.e. don't have to keep adding it to keep the pH low)?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Sorry for the dumb question but if the water coming out of my garden hose is 8.5 should I do something to lower it and if so what do I use and is it permanent (i.e. don't have to keep adding it to keep the pH low)?

Sorry, I was not implying that anyone should attempt to change the pH of their source water. I realize that some municipalities maintain a high (in the 8s) pH to prevent clogging of the supply lines. In many communities (mine for one), however, the source water is normally closer 7.0.
What I was really referring to was those hobbyists that seem to purposely maintain a pH above 8.0.

 

[audioenvy]

Sorry, I was not implying that anyone should attempt to change the pH of their source water. I realize that some municipalities maintain a high (in the 8s) pH to prevent clogging of the supply lines. In many communities (mine for one), however, the source water is normally closer 7.0.
What I was really referring to was those hobbyists that seem to purposely maintain a pH above 8.0.

Ok, thanks for the clarification. I've read that I can add a small amount of vinegar to the water to lower the pH but have not done so.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Life-supporting bodies of water will, over time. gradually become more acidic. This is due to the respiration of the various trophic levels of the animal life it supports...from bacteria up to fish. They all produce Carbon Dioxide through respiration which in turn is partially converted to carbonic acid which reduces the pH.
If you have an eco-pond, unless you are conducting frequent massive water changes, the pH will over time stabilize in the mid-7s, which just happens to coincide with the preferred pH of many pond fish.
You need not attempt to lower the pH.

 

[cas]

@Meyer Jordan , the pH of my pond use to be 7.4 which I was very happy with. However, this year the kh was 53.7 and because I was concerned about pH fluctuations, I added baking soda to increase the kh. So therefore, the increase of pH too. I don't necessarily want a pH of 8.4, but that is the outcome of keeping a higher kh. Is there another way to increase the kh without increasing the pH?