The pH level is a level used in science to determine whether the water (in this case) is either acidic, alkaline, or neutral. This is measured on a scale of one to fourteen.
Normal ph test only range from ph 4 – ph 9
A pH level of four means that the water is highly acidic, a pH level of nine means that the water is an exceedingly high alkaline. Number seven shows that the water is balanced and is neither an acid nor an alkaline.
As the levels increase or decrease in whole numbers on the scale the difference between the numbers are multiplied by ten.
So, a pH level of six means that the water is slightly acidic and a pH level of five means that the water is ten times more acidic than the water that was measured at level six.
A slight change in the pH level such as a 0.5 difference in either direction can have ramifications on the quality of water in which the fish live.
The most ideal pH level for your pond is 6.5 – 8 on the pH scale. any measurement outside of these parameters is not good and needs addressing. Please call for further advice.
Ph levels can be assessed using pH paper, electronic meters or even a broad range test kit.
When a pond is suffering with low pH levels i.e., Highly acidic water, the toxicity from other components like ammonia is low due to the pH level, low levels are usually caused by carbonic acid. This is produced by too much carbon dioxide being dissolved in the water, this is caused naturally by respiration of the fish and plant life within the pond setting.
All species of fish have a preference of what pH level is most ideal for them, but most fish can become adjusted to pH levels that are just outside of their range. However, a substantial change will lead to a generalised deterioration in the health of your livestock, usually the first indication of this is gasping for air, followed by excessive mucus production fin damage. This can cause fin rot!
There are circumstances that can change the pH level which are naturally caused and there are preventative measures that we can put in place that can help to maintain a balance so that any deviation in the pH level is kept to a minimum.
Natural occurring factors:
This can make the pond more acidic as rainwater tends to be slightly acidic due to pollution which naturally occurs in the air.
This is because the debris and soil can block the sun from entering the pond which limits the amount of photosynthesis that can occur for the plants in the pond, in addition to inhibiting this the soil and debris can introduce contaminants that are not naturally occurring in the pond and create further problems which can lead to the fish being ill as well as changing the molecular set up of the pond.
If your pond is over stocked, then the carbon dioxide levels can rise to an alarming rate creating the carbonic acid that was previously mentioned. A common misconception is that overstocking is only caused by having too many fish, however in this situation it is also caused by having too many plants in your pond in addition to the fish.
The presence of algae in the pond is normal however if not controlled or treated the presence of algae is detrimental to your pond life. Algae during the day raises your pH level through photosynthesis, but at night it lowers the pH level during respiration.
With all this in mind the pH level can change throughout the day, also the presence of a water feature can help to reduce the amount of change in the level.
Other ways to help to maintain a healthy pH level are:
