Home Remedy to Up the pH for a Fish Aquarium

All species of fish have adapted to their home waters. This makes some species very sensitive to water pH. If aquarium water doesn't have a fish's preferred pH, it can stress the fish, which leaves the fish vulnerable to disease. You can raise an acidic pH using various remedies at home.

  1. Substrate and Rocks

    • You can passively increase the pH of an aquarium by selecting decorations that slowly leach minerals into the water. For example, tuffa rock and coral sand both slowly dissolve calcium and magnesium into aquarium water. These minerals buffer the pH, increasing the pH and making it more stable. This works with any limestone-rich rocks or substrates.

    Kalkwasser

    • Most saltwater hobbyists will be familiar with kalkwasser. In saltwater reef tanks, kalkwasser is used to replace calcium absorbed by corals or skimmed out by advanced filtration. However, this liquid is rich in minerals that buffer aquarium water as a side effect. Extremely diluted, you can use kalkwasser to buffer the pH of an aquarium. However, kalkwasser needs to be used very carefully, since it can easily overshoot the desired pH.

    Calcium Carbonate

    • You can purchase calcium carbonate at plant nursery and brewing supply companies. Like other calcium-bearing products, this substance can buffer aquarium water and raise the pH. To avoid changing the pH too rapidly, do not add more than 1.5 teaspoons per 10 gallons of aquarium water per day. Fish react poorly to sudden changes in pH, even if the changes bring the water closer to a fish's ideal condition. Try not to change the pH by more than .2 per day.

    Baking Soda

    • You can also use household baking soda to raise the pH of an aquarium. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which buffers pH. Use 1/16 of a teaspoon per gallon. Dissolve the baking soda in a cup of aquarium water, then dump it into the aquarium. Again, never up the pH by more than .2 per day. Repeat every day until you hit the ideal level.