pH question and water change equipment

[evonner]

First question,  my tap water pH is 7.4, 24 hrs after a w.c my pH is at 8.0, 48 hrs after its at 8.2. Never goes above that. I have two tanks that this is a consistent pattern in both. I'm baffled to understand what is making the pH go up. My 10 gallons substrate is over a year old that is stratum capped with medium size gravel.  This tank has fish and plants. My 5 gallon quarantine tanks substrate is just gravel, no livestock or plants. Both running same heat and filtration.  dGh and dKH are the same too. What other factors would increase pH?

Second question,  I just bought a 29 gallon tank. It's a tall tank and with its stand it's almost as tall as me so I'm thinking no more buckets. I'm looking at the python.  I age my water and dechlorinate it prior to my w.c. If you add water straight from the tap, at what point do you guys put in your dechlorinator? I can't find this answer on net.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

I use a Python to fill my bigger tanks (29 gallons and up). Me personally, I put the dechlorinator in as the water starts coming out of the Python. This way I can move on to draining the next tank as the one behind it fills. 
 

There’s probably an argument for “put dechlor in once all the new water is in to ensure all chlorine is present and therefore eliminated”, but I’ve never had a problem putting it in as the water flow starts and honestly it’s just the habit I have and don’t want to change it and forget to dechlorinate. Forgetting to dechlorinate is obviously the worst possible outcome. 

[Scapexghost]

Water companies inject co2 into water to decrease pH. Once it gases off the ph raises again

[evonner]

Gases off, what exactly does that mean?

[TOtrees]

On 12/7/2022 at 12:33 PM, evonner said:

Gases off, what exactly does that mean?

You know how when you open a bottle of pop, and if you leave it open it loses its fizz? That's gassing off. There is CO2 (carbon dioxide) dissolved in the liquid pop, that wants to be a gas not a liquid, but it can't because the bottle is sealed. When you open the bottle, the CO2 can finally do what it wants and leave the liquid to be a gas, no longer in the liquid. It happens really fast at first, then slows down after the initial burst. After 1-2 days of being open/uncovered, it's virtually "flat" and has no more CO2. 

Same happens with chlorine. It wants to be in a gaseous state. Creating, trapping and storing it as a liquid, to be used in our water supply, can only happen in a sealed environment. Which includes the distribution pipes. Once you open the tap and pour a glass or bucket or tank of tap water, the chlorine will gas off over a few hours. Most folks who have chlorine and don't use dechlorinator will let water stand for 24hrs or more to allow chlorine to disappear. Agitation/aeration will speed this up. I think chloramine takes longer. 

I used to fill a couple tanks using python straight from the tap. I would add the required amount of dechlorinator to the tank (based on the tank's full volume) right before I opened the python, give it a swirl with my hand to move it around, then open the python and add the tap water. Never had any problems that way. 

[MattyM]

I agree with @Scapexghost about the PH, I've noticed the same. 

While I own a python, I have 3 small tanks (a 10 and 2 20's) and find it overkill. I fill a couple buckets and use a powerhead connected to a hose and just pump the water into the tanks. Depending on the strength of the powerhead you might need to raise the bucket onto a stool/chair or something. As one bucket empties, I fill it back with the other bucket. I add de-chlorinator to both, and, for my situation, find this all much easier/faster then getting the python all hooked up and put away.

[JettsPapa]

About your second question, getting a Python system is certainly an option, but not necessarily the only one.  Instead of a 5 gallon bucket I use one that holds 2-1/2 gallons.  I'm 61, and not as strong as I used to be, but I can still lift that much when adding water to the 65 gallon tank.  The top of the tank is about even with my shoulders.

[TOtrees]

On 12/7/2022 at 1:40 PM, MattyM said:

find this all much easier/faster then getting the python all hooked up and put away

I'm with you. It really depends on the keeper, the tank and the situation. 

One thing I found that really made the pump-bucket setup sing is a remote controlled switch. The one I use is from Canadian Tire and is made for tree lights. I'm sure there are others. Smart plugs with a phone app would also work, but there is a small delay and despite my phone being waterproof I'm not comfortable having it in my hand as I do water change things. :s

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 12/7/2022 at 9:10 AM, evonner said:

Second question,  I just bought a 29 gallon tank. It's a tall tank and with its stand it's almost as tall as me so I'm thinking no more buckets. I'm looking at the python.  I age my water and dechlorinate it prior to my w.c. If you add water straight from the tap, at what point do you guys put in your dechlorinator? I can't find this answer on net.

Your water is probably gaining PH because of added oxygenation after the WC.

Pythons are great and work well. For a 29G tank I currently use two buckets to drain and then fill up with a python when it makes sense. It's not a gigantic tank, so having something not diffuse the flow is useful. There is some stuff on Etsy, but that's highly recommended on the 29G.

As far as when to add dechlorinator. Add it to the tank prior to adding any water.

[evonner]

Wow, you all came up with some good ideas. I seen some power head gadgets, lol but wasn't sure if they would really do the job. If something like that would do the job then I'm sure it's less expensive that getting a python. I prefer to age/let my tap water set out for 24 hrs before my water change so that I'm not stressing my fish too much. Then I throw the dechlorinator in before I start the water change so that it has time to do its job while I'm dinging around with the tank. I just use a manual siphon vacuum for my 10 gallon tank.

Oxygenation is a common denominator for both tanks running the same high pH. Both tanks have an HOB on one side and a sponge filter with airstone on the other. Is it too much oxygenation? Or just a thing.

[venzi]

@evonner I noticed the same rise in PH for my tap water.  Try getting a cup of tap water then letting it sit for 2-3 hours, then test the PH.  That's the "real" PH after all the CO2 or whatever gasses leave.  My tap goes from like 7.6 to 8.2ish after the gasses leave the water.

Using those filters alone, you can't over oxygenate the tank.  There's some saturation point and even if you did over oxygenate, I don't think it's harmful in anyway.  There's some studies that have tried to over oxygenate the water to see the effect on curing diseases in fish.

Also, keep in mind that water can hold more oxygen at cooler temps and less oxygen at hotter temps.  So if you run your heater warm, then having more source of oxygen wouldn't be a bad thing.

Edited December 7, 2022 by venzi

[evonner]

I keep the water temp at 76 F. I have guppies.

I read that if I keep the temp on the lower side of their comfort zone, they will grow slower, thus live longer. And I'm only sportin males. I'm not dealing with fry, lol.