What Is The Ideal Ph For An Aquarium
The first question that is most frequently asked is, what should be the average pH for all the fishes? The answer to that is that there is no ideal water pH that applies to all fish breeds. This is because, in their wild habitat, fish originate from rivers, lakes, oceans, and other water bodies that have varying pH levels.
That is why every fish breed has different needs in terms of pH, and it depends on their place of origin.
Lets first make the facts clear about the different levels of pH.
The pH ranges from 0-14 in a scale.
- If water has a pH of lower than 7, it means that it is acidic.
- If the pH of water is 8 or more, then it is considered alkaline.
A pH of 7 is considered neutral, which is usually measured for pure water.
Freshwater fish thrive in a water pH that falls between a scale of 5.5-7.5 while saltwater breeds prefer alkaline water.
You might be wondering what can be the reason for the pH in a tank to go off-balance. Well, there are several very common reasons, such as the type of substrate that you use, freshwater aquarium rocks, decorations, a new water filter that might not be working properly or adding the water.
If you suddenly observe that your fish is suddenly getting sick and inactive, then it may be caused by the high pH level in your aquarium. However, its ideal if you test the water in your tank to confirm the level of pH so that you can take necessary actions accordingly.
Test Your Chemistry Levels
If you think your pH levels are off, chances are youve already checked the pool chemistry to make sure. If not, go ahead and check them now to see exactly how far off the pH is.
Ideal pH levels are between 7.2 and 7.6, with 7.4 being optimum.
So if your pH measures anything below 7.2, you need to take the steps to raise it.
Add Lemon Juice To The Pool
Lemon juice is naturally very acidic. In fact, its one of the most acidic fruits you can grow. I suggest lowering your pH with a little bit of lemon juice.
You can reduce the pH without adding harsh chemicals that could cause irritation and itchiness. Adding lemon juice instead of traditional pH decreasers also lets you swim right away.
Keep these tips in mind before adding lemon juice into your pool, though:
Don’t Miss: How To Heat Your Above Ground Pool
When Youve Got Astronomical Alkalinity
Learning about pool chemistry can be overwhelming. Even for seasoned pool owners, problems sometimes crop up that leave you wondering where the heck you went wrong with your water.
The range youre shooting for with alkalinity is somewhere between 100 parts per million and 150 ppm, with 125 ppm being ideal.
One of the most important things to remember about high alkalinity is, if you can afford to wait, it will decrease over time on its own. But high total alkalinity is problematic for a couple of reasons including algae, which can quickly become a problem when your pool has high alkalinity, so its often worth addressing with chemicals.
When your pools pH is high, the water is called basic, meaning it lacks the right balance of acidity. When this happens, the water becomes soft, flaky, and prone to calcium buildup.
Scaling and flakes due to high pH or alkalinity can clog your circulation system and filter. Your sanitizer will have to work harder, leading you to add more chlorine. You may even start to notice your pH levels rising over time when the total alkalinity is high.
High pH can lead to high calcium hardness and high alkalinity. Because pH is naturally unstable, it needs a buffer to help it stay in optimal range. Thats what alkalinity does. It helps prevent pH from changing too much, too fast.
When you lower alkalinity, youll also be lowering pH. The chemicals used to reduce one, work on both naturally, but pH tends to be more intensely affected than alkalinity.
Factors That Raise Ph In A Swimming Pool
So why does the pH tend to climb in swimming pools? You may notice pH almost never naturally drops over time…so there must be something going on. It turns out, while pH is controlled by the concentration of Hydrogen ions, practically speaking, pH is also determined by the amount of carbon dioxide in the water. And there are several factors that affect CO2 levels in pools, and cause a pool’s pH to lower or rise. So let’s talk about some of them.
Recommended Reading: Aria Pool Club
Balance Is Important For Ph
While testing and maintaining the pH balance of your pool or spa water is a constant process, hopefully, the tips in this article will help you take some of the pain out doing so.
The raising and lowering the pH in your pool will be something that you will always need to balance. T
he ways to lower and raise pH are many and if you have any questions, its best to talk to a pool professional.
That way, youll know what to do when your pH is either too high or too low.
Have questions? Let us know or check other pool maintenance tips!
Installing A Distilled Water System In Your Home
Distilled water is free from various minerals and other substances found in other water sources. So, this lack of additional substances makes the water pure.
In areas where hard water is supplied, using distilled water for your pool instead will make much difference. Hard water contains several minerals and impurities which raise pH levels of the water.
To use distilled water in your pool, drain the pool and fill it with distilled water. Then, get pH test strips to check the pH level of the water. You would discover that distilled water worked well to lower the pH.
Where you might find difficulty when using this method is getting the water out of your pool and filling it with distilled water from your house. But, if you can find a way to do this, then you totally should.
You can check out this pack of pH test strips below if you dont have some or will like to restock on them.
Recommended Reading: Hide Pool Equipment
How To Lower Alkalinity And Ph
Natural aeration is highly recommended, but if you need faster results, at the end of this article I have included a list of equipment that will help speed up the process and instructions for how to use it. Extra care must be taken to avoid over-aeration if you decide to use aerators because over-aeration raises the pH levels and lowers the calcium carbonate levels beyond recommended levels, which can cause significant damage to the pool.
Ph And Chlorine Strength
Ah yes, chlorine strength. This is the main reason health codes demand a pH maximum . See the chart on the left below.
Without cyanuric acid in the water, the pH determines the strength of chlorine, as expressed by the percentage of the strong, killing form of chlorine, Hypochlorous Acid . %HOCl is usually what we use to determine chlorine strength. Well, that and ORP.
The lower the pH, the higher the %HOCl, the stronger and faster the chlorine. Most indoor pools do not have CYA in them, so that chart absolutely applies to natatoriums. Outdoor pools with CYA, however, can have virtually the same strength of chlorine at 8.2 as at 7.2. See the chart above on the right side, with just 30 ppm CYA. The %HOCl is way a the bottom, and a negligible reduction occurs as the pH climbs. The FC:CYA ratio is what truly determines chlorine’s strength and speed in those poolsnot pH.
Recommended Reading: Painting Pool Cage
How To Lower Ph In Pool With Household Products
Household products play an important role in every task especially if these are about cleansing hacks.
Baking soda and vinegar can bring the pH level of the water down.
Vinegar is less acidic than pool water however, it can help you to take the pH level to a low level but not be able to bring big changes.
Baking soda is a household product that has a higher pH level and if you will pour it in your pool water that has a higher pH level then it will get it to the same level. You need to pour 1.5lbs per 10,000 gallons in your pool water and wait overnight and then check the pH level again.
Only Add Soda Ash To Raise The Ph If The Ph Stops
Rainwater ranges from ph 5.6 for clean rain all the way down to 4.2 for acid rain, so you could add water from a collection tank or even channel water directly from roof gutters . Pour the powder straight into your return jet sites, where the water enters the pool, and avoid adding it to the skimmer. Let your pool continue to run for a few hours so the acid can be dispersed throughout your pool.
Don’t Miss: How To Repair Cracks In Cool Deck
Using Household Items To Reduce The Alkalinity Level
Many people have used household items to lower thealkaline levels of their pools and it has worked well for them. Although thisis commonly used for chlorine-based pools, thisdoesnt mean you cant try it on your swimming pools at home.
However, most pool experts will always tell you thatusing household products to reduce the pH of your pool will generate poorresults. Also, they dont want you to use products that are not specifically approvedfor pool use. But, if youre short on some cash, theres no harm in trying itout. You may see great results.
One of the household products you can use to alter thepools pH is sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda. Baking soda isalkaline. So, it increases the alkalinity of the pool water. This should beused when youre sure the pH is very acidic. Baking soda is very similar tosodium hydrogen carbonate which is usually found in a pool store. If youreusing sodium bicarbonate, add 1.5 lbs to 10,000 gallons of water to totalalkalinity by 10ppm.
Meanwhile, make sure you know what baking soda you areusing. Pool baking soda should not be used forbaking or cooking. This would pose a great danger to your health.
Another household product you can use is bleach.Shocking right?
Yes, household bleach can be used to shock a pool. Also, when your house is supplied with hard water, using household bleach such as Clorox also helps you reduce the calcium present in the water.
Check out this video to learn more about how to lower pH naturally:
Common Problems With Pool Ph And Total Alkalinity
Now that you have a basic understanding of how Total Alkalinity and pH work together, lets take a closer look at how to resolve specific balance issues in your pool. Weve said it before, but well say it again when making any adjustments to your waters chemistry, ALWAYS read and follow product label instructions, and only add balancing chemicals to the pool if the pump is running. Start with an accurate pool water test to ensure youre dosing the pool correctly. And remember: its far better to make small, gradual adjustments than it is to make large changes. Keep on top of pool water chemistry with regular testing 2-3 times per week.
Also Check: How To Heat A Above Ground Pool
How Long Does It Take To Lower Ph In A Pool
Usually, the lowering of the pH level of a pool largely depends on what kind of method is applied, either chemically or naturally. The chemical method is kind of faster due to the reactivity the applied chemical creates with the pool water.
But the effect of the combination of a lot of chemicals on human skin will not be healthy. Hence, the natural method, though slower than the chemical method, is better and healthier.
The time it takes the natural method to completely lower the pH level of the concerned pool is dependent on what is being used to reduce the pH. Taking rainwater as an example, it lowers the pH of the pool water almost immediately after its application.
Generally, if it is just a little pH adjustment that is made to the pool water, the alkalinity level of the water should be tested after about an hour.
It is fine to swim in it after at least one hour. But if the pH adjustment made is large, meaning that if the quantity of acid applied is large, the pool should be allowed to settle for at least 24 hours.
More so, it should be tested again before use to make sure the acid level of the pool water has not increased above normal. This process can be applied when the acid added is probably white vinegar or lemon juice.
Sometimes The Most Effective Way To Fix A Pool Ph Problem Without Using Chemicals Is To Replace The Water Entirely
Please take note that after the application of any one of these natural methods, the pool water should be left to settle for at least an hour. Drain and refill the water. Rainwater ranges from ph 5.6 for clean rain all the way down to 4.2 for acid rain, so you could add water from a collection tank or even channel water directly from roof gutters .
Also Check: Pristine Clean Pool Chemical
Is It Safe To Swim In High Or Low Ph Or Alkalinity
Maybe yes, maybe no. Your pool water pH and Total Alkalinity can affect disinfection by chlorine. Chlorine is very slow to react at high pH levels, and can dissipate quickly at low pH levels. However, a pool could still be sanitary with good levels of Free Available Chlorine and effective filtration. However, the water may be uncomfortable for the skin and eyes, and will damage your pool over time. Its important to address chemical imbalances as quickly as possible to keep your pool experience a pleasant one.
What Is Ph And What Should It Be
pH simply means the waters total acid-alkalinity balance.
Pool experts suggest that the ideal pH reading of pool or spa water needs to be between 7.2 7.8.
If the balance is off, problems can and probably will occur in your pool or spa.
Any element added to the water, be it sweat, sunscreen or leaves or bugs will cause the pH to change.
If the water becomes too alkaline , the water can become cloudy or it can cause scaling on the plumbing equipment and on the pool lining something that can be costly to fix.
If the water is too acidic , it can cause etching or corrode the metallic equipment. In the worst-case scenario, highly-acidic water can give you and your guests skin rashes or irritations.
For these reasons, its important to monitor pH levels closely.
Its also important to note that the water will need to be tested more frequently during periods of high usage due to an increase in by-products from swimmers or simply from dirt that gets tracked into the pool.
You May Like: Pristine Clean Pool Chemicals
How To Lower Ph In Pool
Shortly, pH is the term to refer to whether the pool water is acid or alkaline enough. The balance pH level of pool water is obviously important to keep your swimming pool look adorable and feel comfortable at the same time.
The ideal range of pH level of a swimming pool is 7.2 to 7.8 and its so common that you will face the imbalance level of pH of your swimming pool. Whether its too low or too high, you have to fix it as soon as possible
High pH Level is the most common case that a lot of homeowners deal with. It means that the pH level is above 7.8 which also relates to the high alkalinity of the pool water. The case can be caused by several factors like:
- When the sun streams extremely, your pool can be overly exposed to the sunlight if you dont use solar cover. It can cause an extreme high wave that triggers the pool pH level to rise above its normal level.
- You add too much chlorine stabilizer in the attempt to lower the chlorine level of your pool water.
Of course, the high chlorine level is dangerous for you. It can cause several problems relating to your well-being and the pool itself. The most common symptoms that you will feel are skin irritation, dry hair, and red eyes. Then, it can also damage your swimwear overtimes. Moreover, since the alkalinity level is high, you will find the scaling that clogs the pool filter.
What Happens If Ph Level Is Too Low In Pool
Pool alkalinity is one of the vital reasons why your water chemistry is not balanced. Alkalinity and pH are related because they both focus on your pools acid level.
A low alkalinity level in the pool can cause any additional chemicals that are added to the pool to bounce. It makes your pH level drop randomly, which poses a risk of damage to your pool walls, metal, and people who use the pool. That is why it is necessary to test your pool from time to time to know the actual level of your pool pH before things get out of hand.
Recommended Reading: Well Water Brown After Filling Pool
