How to Raise pH Naturally in African Cichlid Aquarium | Aragonite | struggling with Low pH try this, by Tech Solutions & Fish Hobbyist on YouTube. 4 min 15 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 15 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes plus 2 days of test
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Test your tank water with a liquid pH and KH kit and write down the numbers. You need a starting point before you change anything, and test strips are too rough for this.
Check that raising pH is really what you want. Lake Malawi cichlids like pH around 7.8 to 8.4 with hard water, so soft acidic water is the problem to fix.
Rinse the aragonite in a bucket under running water until the water runs clear. Skip this and your tank goes cloudy for a day.
Choose your placement. Use 1 to 2 inches as substrate, or scoop 1 to 2 cups into a mesh bag and put it in your filter where water flows through it.
Switch off the filter and heater before you put your hands in the tank, then add the aragonite and restart everything.
Leave it for 24 to 48 hours, then retest pH and KH. Aragonite dissolves slowly, so expect a gentle rise rather than an instant jump.
Add another cup to the filter bag if pH is still under 7.8 after two days. Change one thing at a time and retest the next day.
Test pH and KH daily for the first week, then weekly. Keep up normal water changes using water of similar hardness so the levels hold.
Tips and common mistakes
Aragonite raises KH as well as pH, and that hardness is what stops the pH from crashing again.
Never combine aragonite with pH-up chemicals, because you can overshoot and stress the fish.
Driftwood and CO2 injection push pH down, so keep them out of a cichlid tank using aragonite.
A mesh bag in the filter is easier to remove than substrate if you ever need to bring the pH back down.
Questions
How long does aragonite take to raise pH?
You will usually see a small rise within 24 to 48 hours, and it keeps climbing slowly over the first week or two. Test daily at the start so you catch any overshoot.
Will aragonite cloud my tank?
Only if you skip rinsing. Wash it in a bucket until the runoff is clear, and any remaining dust settles within a day.
Does aragonite work in any aquarium?
It raises pH and hardness, so it suits cichlids and other hard water fish. Do not use it in a soft water tank for tetras or discus.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
