pH Question – What do you keep YOUR’S at?

[jeff_dbt]

– PLEASE Share your pH level and any comments. – Okay. I have learned quite a bit from reading the messages on this group. Thank you all for your input and sharing your experiences. I have recently acquired a number of hatchlings and they are doing great. Thet eat Zoo Med hatchling formula and they love the dried baby shrimp and 1/4″ crickets. I have them settled-in in their suite. They are in their cozy Waterlandtubs enclosure. They have a full spectrum bulb and a 100w mercury vapor basking lamp. In the water I have a floating cork bark and floating Exo Terra plastic plants. (They love to hide and poke their heads up in these.) I use a trickle filter with sump. It uses bio-balls and I threw a couple bags of carbon in for good measure. The water seems to be testing as expected for Ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates. My pH has been around 8.2 but then it hit 8.8 or more. I did put a cuttle-bone in there the day before. Took cuttlebone out for now. Put in “pH down” and is now back to about 8.2. TWO QUESTIONS: 1) Could the cuttlebone or carbon have raised the pH? or perhaps New Tank Cycle? 2) What pH do you keep your terrapins water at? Thanks in advance, Jeff Richmond

[pete@waterlandtubs.com]

The cuttle bone and carbon does not change PH. Regular tap water works when you let it sit out for a day or so. Ad crushed corral and that should work for you.

[ryan ying]

Hi Pete If you want to lower the pH you can also add a driftwood in the water but I think whats really important is to make sure the salinity level is ideal, you can keep the hatchlings in fresh water as well but when they grow up you should expect their colour won’t be as sharp as those kept in blackish water. The other thing is keeping a few terrapins together in the same tank can be quite dangerous, they are very likely to bite each other to death later when you are not notice, they probably wont do it in front of you cos they are normally quite smart……. 😛 anyway good luck with your hatchlings!

[ryan ying]

Hi Pete If you want to lower the pH you can also add a driftwood in the water but I think whats really important is to make sure the salinity level is ideal, you can keep the hatchlings in fresh water as well but when they grow up you should expect their colour won’t be as sharp as those kept in blackish water. The other thing is keeping a few terrapins together in the same tank can be quite dangerous, they are very likely to bite each other to death later when you are not notice, they probably wont do it in front of you cos they are normally quite smart……. 😛 anyway good luck with your hatchlings!

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