CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

I have lived in our new home for just over a year now, the PH has always been well over 7, and the hardness is also off the chart.  About a month ago I tested the PH again in my tanks and the tap, the hardness has not changed but the PH in the tap is now around 6 and the water in my tanks still have the same hardness and the PH is still off the chart. I have done a few large water changes since then and nothing has changed.  From what I understand the PH should not really fluctuate, especially not this much.  What could change the well water???  I have numerous rocks in my tanks that I'm not sure really what they are so I don't know if they could be keeping the PH high in my tanks or not.

Thanks
Jewles

My pH here in Oklahoma where I live, is 8.4 tap, gh is 15dGH and KH is 12dGH give or take some..
Now in the exchange barrel that I use, it goes to 8.0 but the hardness does not change.. could be that the Dechorinater/salt changes the chimisty of the hardness which will affect the pH.. I run a pump IN the bottom of the barrell to mix it good.. NO air into the water, but it is a OPEN barrell..  This all changes in 30 min time..

I have a RO system that has a pH of 7.2 and NO hardness at all. After Decholr/salt and let it sit, the pH goes to 7.0.. To stabelize my pH I add in 5 gal of tap so my pH does not crash later. MY GH after this is 8DGH and the KH is 5dGH
The tanks after one week have a pH of 7.2  hardness stays about the same..

YES certain rocks wil change the pH /hardness in a tank, but this takes time and your weekly water changes help delute this down so the exchange is brief and does not last..

MY understanding is: As water is inclosed, ground, then is let into air and other factors, dechorinater/salt, it changes the chemistry and that alone can change the hardness which helps controls the  pH..

MY sons water: pH 7.2 out of the tap, hardness like yours off the chart.. IN a 10 gal tank, pH 8.4 and hardness same. So it changes once it gets air/other factors.. this is the one that puzzels me the most. IF the water sits for 1 hour, it changes to the 8.2 to 8.4 but only with dechlor added in and lots of air.. It goes to 7.6 with NO dechlor/other.. interesting to say the lest.. I did the experiments my self..

I am sure someone can explain it better than me.. this is what I know about my water..

Thanks Barb.....