# help please, eco complete causing high PH



## brownietrout (Feb 5, 2009)

I set up a 10 gallon about a month ago with eco complete that was a light brown in color not black and it is causing my ph to run at 7.8 when my tap water is 6.6. I am doing daily water changes of about 10% so as to not stress my shrimp too much. Is this a bad batch of eco? Should I tear down my tank and start over?


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## Karebear (Oct 6, 2008)

Before you assume that it is the exo complete, check your tap water again several days after you get it out of the tap. The water companies now add buffers to raise the tap water ph so that the lead in the pipes will not leach out. I know of several people whose tap comes out neutral and goes up to 8 in one to two days.


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## brownietrout (Feb 5, 2009)

we are on well water with no additives here in our remote location in Alaska and my other tanks all run between 6.4 and 6.8 so I don't think it is the tap water.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

It is the Eco. Just live with the high pH. Don't worry about it. If you add enough CO2 everything will be fine.

Eco will also increase the hardness. 

--Nikolay


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## brownietrout (Feb 5, 2009)

I was trying for a El Natural low tech non co2 tank. I wanted to use top soil but was unable to find it up here at this time of year so I tried the eco.


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## amphirion (Nov 13, 2008)

i don't know if this actually works, but have you considered mixing peat into your eco complete? maybe things would balance out.


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## monkeyruler90 (Feb 27, 2008)

in the beginning the eco will release some buffers that will raise the pH of your water but after a few weeks for it to cycle and everything then the eco will not affect your pH anymore and it will lower. my tank after 1 month of set up is staying constant at 6.5-6.4.


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