Biology 111

[deleted-759435]

What do I add to bring the pH back to neutral if it's become acidic and has tadpoles in the tank

[pharrast]

I found this on aquariumtricks.com
How To Raise Aquarium pH Safely
If your aquarium pH is too low, adding decorations or substrates that leach minerals into the water can safely raise the aquarium’s pH over a period of time. For example:
crushed corals, which are available in most aquarium supplies stores
add dolomite to your filter or substrate
choose limestone (calcareous rocks) to decorate your aquarium
All the above materials have in common releasing calcium on the water, which will raise the water hardness and the pH. They are commonly used on saltwater aquariums where a high pH is needed, and will also increase the buffering ability of the water.

Make sure you know what pH your specific animals need!

[EricBebenov24]

Hello there,

Using crushed corals will definitely help in raising the pH level from an acidic state in a natural way. You could also add the crushed corals in the filter so that the water is enriched whenever it is filtered.

Limestone is also effective in raising pH level. It is rich in calcium carbonate, which makes the water more alkaline, ultimately neutralizing the acidic state of the lower pH water.

Macroalgae is an additional alternative you could use. This type of algae is useful in raising the pH, as well as getting rid of the other useless algae.

Hopefully these methods help with bringing back the pH to neutral. Please check the proper pH level that is needed for your aquatic animals. If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out!

Sincerely,
EricBebenov24

[cnoonan180]

Hello!

If the tadpoles are not showing any signs of distress, it should be safe to leave the pH as is because the pH of ponds can always vary in nature. However, a slightly acidic pH can have negative effects on tadpole development or lead to death in extreme cases, so it would be a good idea to try to neutralize the pH in your case.

Prior to trying to change the pH level, you should make sure you remove the tadpoles from the tank. To neutralize the pH, consider adding baking soda to the tank using a ratio of 1 teaspoon of baking soda for every 5 gallons of water. Dissolve the baking soda in the water of the tank, and after you reach the desired pH, you may reintroduce the tadpoles to the tank using a similar method to how you would introduce a new fish that has just been brought home from the store to a new tank.

Just to give you the background of why adding baking soda would be effective in neutralizing the pH:
Baking soda will reduce the pH of the water because it supplies hydroxide ions (OH-) to the water, which causes the hydrogen ion (H+) concentration to drop. This is a good thing because more hydrogen ions=more acidic, so by getting rid of the hydrogen ions, you will be neutralizing the water in the tank. The hydrogens will bond with the oxygen of the hydroxide ion to form water (H20), which is neutral; therefore, neutralizing the pH.

Hope this helps, and if you have any other questions, feel free to ask!
-cnoonan180