Does major uprooting of plants cause PH swing?

[NinjaFly]

Hi there!

Remember recently I uprooted most of my plants? As far as I know, it will only affect the nutrition level of the water and the NO2/NO3/NH4 level. But does that also affect the PH reading?

I had a PH swing of a low 6.4 and high of 7.6 within a few days!
That had cost lots of my guppies, Cardinals, Kuhi Loaches and Corydoras!

At first, it reaches 7.6-7.8 and when I realised it, I did a 50% water change and then added black water/ketapang leaves to it. I also increase my CO2 bubble rate to 2 bubbles/sec. Then the following 2 days, it drops to 6.4!

Did another 50% water change, add in coral chips and stop my CO2 supply. Right now, the PH is at 6.8-7 and had stablised.

Lots of casualties .... and I also lost my lovely Corydoras Adolfoi ..

[vinz]

Depends on what was in your substrate. If your basefert has significant amounts of acidic content like peat, massive uprooting can bring lots of it up.

Perhaps, water change plus blackwater and increasing CO2 all in one go was a bad idea? I think this is a case of too much, too soon.

Water change: Possible change in water temperature. What's the pH of your tap water? Mine can go as high as 8. Usually after only a 25% water change my water temp can go up by as much as 1 to 2 degrees and the pH goes up to lower 7s from 6.5. Water change also dilutes the CO2 content in your water, raising pH. The increase in CO2 bubbling, will drop your pH. What was the BPS before? If it was 1 and you upped it to 2, thats a 100% increase in CO2 injection.

If your CO2 was maintaining your pH fine before, then a simple water change and KH maintainance was all you should have done.

[NinjaFly]

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Depends on what was in your substrate. If your basefert has significant amounts of acidic content like peat, massive uprooting can bring lots of it up.
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I cannot remember what I used for base fert. But I remember the owner told me they were "qi fei". So, uprooting of the plants will increase the PH or Reducing it?

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Perhaps, water change plus blackwater and increasing CO2 all in one go was a bad idea? I think this is a case of too much, too soon.
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Yeah .. I panic when my PH shoots up and lots of casualties.

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If your CO2 was maintaining your pH fine before, then a simple water change and KH maintainance was all you should have done.
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I had forgotten all about KH! Should had remembered that KH also affect the PH of the water.

[David]

Hi Ninjafly

Whenever you have a PH swing, its best to do a KH test. Massive water change is never a good idea as in the first place, PH swing upwards does not stress the fish as much as a swing downward.

If you truely have an upward swing in a few days would may not have caused your fish casualty.....perhaps it could be pockets on Hydrogen Sulphite present in your substrate getting into the water column that caused it.

[NinjaFly]

Thanks Vinz/David for the advice.

I should have find out more before uprooting all my plants.... bad mistake.

But one good lesson learnt!

BTW, my tank is quite stable now.