How to Adjust PH & Chlorine Levels

Adjusting the pH of your fish tank's water and properly removing the chlorine are necessary skills in order to maintain a healthy aquarium and extend the life of your fish. The pH is a measure of the aquarium water's alkalinity, and for freshwater fish should typically read as 7.0 on a 0-14 scale, or neutral. Chlorine is a chemical found in tap water, which may also be the source of your fish tank water, that keeps water clean but is also toxic to your fish, and therefore must be removed. Luckily, adjusting the pH and removing the chlorine are not only necessary skills, but quite simple ones as well.

Things You'll Need

  • Mesh bag
  • 1 handful of peat chips
  • 1 handful of crushed coral
  • 1 bottle of commercial dechlorinator
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Instructions

    • 1

      Open the mesh bag and fill it with either the crushed coral or peat chips. The crushed coral will raise the tank's pH, while the peat chips are known to lower it. Use whichever one applies to your desired pH goal.

    • 2

      Rinse the bag of chips/crushed coral under a faucet with fresh water. This will remove any excess dirt, dust or debris.

    • 3

      Open the back of your filter and place the mesh bag near the filter cartridge, allowing water to run through it as it is filtered. The peat chips and crushed coral are very natural ways of gradually adjusting the pH level of your tank. Note that each bag of either material will raise or lower the pH by about half a measure per 10 gallons of water (see Tips).

    • 4

      Calculate the amount of dechlorinator you will need by reading the chemical's packaging. Typically each drop of dechlorinator will treat 10 gallons of water, but this varies between manufacturers.

    • 5

      Apply the necessary number of drops into the aquarium's water to alleviate the chlorine.