Gravel
Filtration system
Water
Test kit
Fish
Journal
Things You'll Need
- The pH scale ranges from 1 to 14; 1 is the most acidic and 14 is the most alkaline. Neutral is a pH of 7 and is typically considered "balanced." Most tap water and well water ranges from a slightly acidic pH of 6.5 to a slightly basic pH of 7.5. Typically, a pH lower than 7 is considered "soft"; a pH higher than 7 is considered "hard." Hard water tends to be more stable than soft water, meaning hard water changes more slowly. For aquarium care and maintenance, pH levels need to be kept stable near the recommended pH. Rapid adjustments to pH in an aquarium should be avoided because "fish are more stressed and susceptible to disease when exposed to a change in pH greater than 0.3 in a 24-hour period" according to the Petco Water Quality Care Sheet.
Instructions
Set up your aquarium before purchasing fish or aquatic plant life. Set up the gravel, tank decorations and filtration system. Fill the tank with water and let the aquarium run for several days.
Purchase an aquarium water test kit that includes a pH test. The best test kit also tests for other chemicals such as chlorine, chloramine, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia.
Follow the manufacturer's directions exactly to run the tests. Usually, the pH test is a strip that requires a drop of water or must be submersed in a sample from the fish tank. Then the strip is compared against a pH color chart. Or the pH kit contains a test tube where you add drops of a solution to your fish tank water sample and match the color to a pH chart.
Select fish and aquatic life that prefer the natural conditions of your water, if possible. For instance, African Cichlids prefer a pH balanced to 7.5 to 8.5. It would be unnecessary to adjust a tank with a pH of between 7 and 8 for African Cichlids.
Select, purchase and administer a solution from the aquarium supply store formulated to adjust your fish tank's pH in the appropriate direction. A pH of 4 would need a solution to move the pH up the scale. A pH of 10 would need a solution to adjust the pH down the scale toward neutral.
Test your aquarium water following the administration of the solution and for a few days until the water stabilizes. Add fish after the pH is stable and balanced.
Test the pH every one to three days after introducing fish or plant life. Also test other water quality elements to make sure the fish tank is adjusting well.
Test the pH every two weeks for regular maintenance. Checking and recording the pH before and after water changes is be helpful for the long-term health and care of your fish.