Tropical Fish Water Chemistry

Adjusting the pH in your aquarium

The water chemistry is a very important factor to consider with aquarium fish. Some fish
require very specific parameters to survive, on the other hand other species of fish will live in
almost any water conditions. In this article we will cover the important and often misunderstood pH
of the aquarium.



A word of caution - Changing the pH in your aquarium can result in the loss of all you aquarium fish. Read this article and research on Goolge as much as possible before you attempt to change your pH. Some people prefer to use a bucket of water with a powerhead for their first attempts a adjusting the pH.


Tools of the trade To take on this task you will need a few items to help...
- pH test kit - Try Aquarium Phamaceutacles pH test kits
- KH test kit - I like Aquarium Phamaceuticals KH test kit

Research the fishes pH requirements

Tropical Aquarium fish come from all over the world, and the pH will very to a great degree depending on where they come from. Here's a quick list of some common groups of fish  and their pH requirements.
African Cichlids from lake Malawi and lake Victoria - 7.8 to 8.3
African cichlid from Lake Tanganyka - 8.3 to 8.7
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