Freshwater Aquarium pH- Post 3

The next step is to pinpoint the ideal pH for your environment in order for you to create the necessary conditions to achieve it.  The ideal pH will vary greatly depending on what types of plants and animals you plan to keep.  It is important to know each species requirements before choosing to put them in the same environment.  One can’t expect a species that needs a pH of 6.5 to live with a species that needs a pH of 8 without one or the other being stressed and unhealthy.

Freshwater animals can naturally tolerate much wider fluctuations in water conditions than saltwater animals can, including pH.  This is because their environment in the wild naturally fluctuates significantly more than the ocean does.  The average freshwater fish that we are most likely to choose for our tanks do well with a fairly broad range between 6.5 and 7.5, making pH much easier to manage and less of a concern than in more sensitive saltwater or reef environments.  Some experienced aquarists will even tell you not to bother worrying about or affecting change on pH in a freshwater aquarium at all as long as you are keeping up on its regular maintenance.  Keep in mind though that pH is often a cause and effect of other aquarium conditions.   Though many freshwater fish aren’t particularly effected by fluctuations in pH, it is still beneficial to monitor it. 

To begin, we recommend testing the pH of your water source to see if your water is exceptionally acidic or basic.  This will give you an idea of what fish you might want to keep, or what you will need to do to change the pH if you want to keep fish that require parameters outside of your range.  This isn’t particularly common and most likely it is true that your pH will be just fine.  We try, thought, to always remember that just because our fish are alive, swimming, eating, etc., doesn’t mean that their environment is correct and that they aren’t living in conditions that is stressful to their health.  We recommend striving for perfection and making an effort to maintain the ideal pH for each species.

There are some notable varieties of fish that are especially fragile or have uncommon pH

requirements; namely, discus and cichlids.  Discus require a pH lower than many aquarium fish and cichlids are the opposite.

If you find that you need additives to maintain the right pH for your tank, you’ll need to add them every time you do a water change.  Remember, consistency is key.  Even though our freshwater fish can tolerate fluctuations much better than their saltwater counterparts, it will still improve their health to keep conditions consistent.  If you have specific questions regarding pH, please feel free to contact us.  Our group of experts will be more than happy to help, or have a discussion.