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It is very important to maintain water quality in a fish tank, especially with ornamental fish. It is here that pH is of vital importance, influencing everything from how well the fish breathe, how well they metabolize, and how strong their immune systems are. A common problem for novice aquarists is that their aquarium is in fact too low in pH (6.5-7.0 or less). As a result, fish will be sluggish and lose appetite, potentially leading to various illnesses. Below is an outline for increasing pH safely and efficiently, and it is interwoven with useful hints.

Why Does Aquarium pH Get Low?

Some common reasons why aquarium pH may be low include:

• Use of soft water or RO water
• Decay of driftwood and/or peat moss releasing tannic acid
• Build-up of fish metabolic waste products
• High levels of CO concentration

It is advisable to check your pH, KH (carbonate hardness), and GH (total hardness) routinely using aquarium testing strips. They are quick, easy to use, provide readings in seconds, and are your essential helper for day-to-day care of your aquarium.

If you are keeping unpuffed puffers (for example, pea puffers), they need their pH to be very stable, and around 6.8-7.8 is the ideal pH. Keeping your water on the alkaline side of neutral helps your puffer with normal functions and development.

Safe Methods to Raise an Aquarium PH

Using Natural Calcium Carbonate Materials

This is the most stable and natural way:

• Place the coral sand, crushed coral, or aragonite sand at the bottom of your tank as a substrate.
• Place limestone, coral fragments, or shells for decoration and filtering.
• These objects gradually dissolve, releasing calcium carbonate. This elevates the KH level and will also buffer the pH so that it will range between about 7.5 and 8.2.

Pros: It has a lasting effect, and the pH does not fluctuate greatly. It is good for maintaining your tank for a longer period.

Add Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)

Baking soda is an easy and safe way to raise pH:

• Use 1 teaspoon per 20-25 gallon (about 75-95 Liter) water change.
• Dissolve in a separate container first, then add slowly to the tank.
• Wait 24 hours and retest with aquarium test strips so you do not over-adjust pH by more than 0.3-0.5 at a time.

Note: Add water change and adjust with baking soda to receive better results. Do not add 1 huge dose to a tank with fish.

Regular Water Changes + Increased Aeration

Water changes: Do a 20-30% water change with pre-treated tap water with a higher pH.
Higher flow rate and aeration would take out excess CO2, naturally increasing the pH.
Remove potential pH-reducing substances, like too much driftwood.

Commercial Buffers and Specialized Products

PH-up buffer or African lake salts (suitable for cichlid tanks) are sold commercially for use in fish tanks. Use as recommended and test using aquarium test strips.

pH Management for Specific Fish Species

Unpuffed pufferfish (for example, dwarf puffers, pea puffers) are easily susceptible to water parameters. Especially prone to struggling with breathing/low immune problems in low pH environments. Suggest target 7.0 - 7.6 PH and slowly add baking soda and substrate sand with enough coral sand. Simultaneously, maintain a very low nitrate reading (<20ppm), and you should be able to get your unpuffed puffer to be very healthy and lively and not get bloated.

Common Precautions and Misconceptions

• Slow Adjustments: Large pH changes are actually more harmful to your fish than the actual pH value. As a general rule, you don't want to raise or lower the pH by more than 0.5 units per week.
• Consider all parameters: It's not enough just to consider pH; a lack of KH can be a contributing factor to frequent pH swings. Aquarium testing strips are helpful because you can test many things at once.
• Know your limits: Not all fish enjoy higher pH. Tetras and corydoras do prefer more acidic conditions, for example. You need to know the species you have in your aquarium before going much further.
• Old tank vs. New tank: pH tends to be more volatile in new aquariums and becomes more acidic over time as a mature nitrification system develops.

Regular filter maintenance and controlled feeding are fundamental to stabilizing the pH in your fish tank.

Conclusion

Don't worry, raising the pH in your fish tank is relatively easy, as the most important thing is to do it stably and gradually. When using things such as coral sand, limestone, and baking soda, you will be able to maintain a suitable environment for such fish as unpuffed puffer fish by testing using aquarium testing strips regularly, to which you can eventually have an ever-increasing healthier aquarium.