high ph?

[Darkwynd]

My tank has been up and running for about a week now, got two small bristlenose plecos on Saturday to add to my corys. Tested the water for the second time and did a partial change last night. My water ph seems to be steady at about 8; everything I've read about the corys says that's fine for them, but I'm getting differing info about the plecos' tolerance to high ph.

Should I be concerned about having bristlenoses in water with an 8 ph level? And if so, what's the best way to bring it down (preferably without costing a lot, I'm already about 50% over budget for the tank)?

[cichlid1409]

not a problem.

[geoff_tropheus]

I keep my pH buffered to around 8.0-8.2 sometimes mid 8's and my regular brisstlenose have not had a problem.

I once had a gold nugget pleco that died on me rather quickly, and I think pH affected him. I say this because I purchased another gold nugget a year or so later, and same thing happened to him as well. Luck of the draw maybe, but I always attested it to pH.

[myjohnson]

+3

I had all kinds of plecos in high ph with no problem.

My water out the tap sits at 8.3

[Zulaab]

Houston Tap water comes out of the tap at pH 8. Almost all of your fish you are going to come across in your lifetime will be happy in pH 8.

[Mzungu]

Even if for some reason the fish you like prefer a different pH, according to others, it's not usually worth it to fiddle with the pH. Just keep everything stable, and you're good. :)

[armthehomeless]

Stability is more important that pH. I would leave it alone.

[geoff_tropheus]

I buffer because Pasadena pH has a KH value of like 5

It will not stay above 8 for just a few days if you got a heavy fish load and my waterchanges are like 50-75% every week. It will not stay over 8.0 unless I buffer.