Aquarium pH and Your Fish

When you set up a new aquarium, there are many things to think about, especially water chemistry.  One of the most common factors in water chemistry isn't the aquarium pH.  Many people have a tendency to worry too much about this, as most fish do just fine in different pH levels.  There are however some types of fish, most of them exotic who are a bit more picky about the pH level especially when they are breeding.

A neutral seven is the natural pH of water, but the aquarium tank water will be different.  The reason for this is the fact that the water your fish will live in will probably be treated with chemicals that are either suspended or dissolved in water.  There are several types or classification of chemicals used in an aquarium.  They are acids, bases and buffers.  If the pH of the water needs to be lowered or  made more acidic, then an acid is used. The reverse of that, is to make the water more alkaline.  A base type of chemical is used for this purpose. Buffers are used to maintain a very specific water pH.

If your aquarium water needs to be a different pH, and it does not contain any buffers, then it is just a matter of adding either an acid or a base to adjust the pH higher or lower.  If the water contains a buffer, then changing the pH is a bit more difficult.  You need to be careful to make sure that the pH does not change drastically, where this can seriously and adversely affect the health of your fish. A sudden change can also harm your biological filter and your plants, so be very careful.

If you change the pH of your tank water, you need to keep in mind that every time you do a water change you need to be aware of the pH, because it will be different.  With these changes in pH there will be a rising and lowering effect which could put stress on your fish, and in reality probably is not necessary.

In reality, there probably is no real reason for messing around with the pH of your water.  Since most fish have a high tolerance for different pH levels, make sure that you are aware of this when choosing what type of fish you want to keep.  Make sure that the fish you choose have similar pH limits.

Aquarium pH is a very tricky topic and should not be changed or messed with in less you really know about the chemicals used and the effect they have on your fish.