high ph levels in my betta tank

[sunsetora]

I posted about my betta's heavy breathing and pacing after a water change last night, and today he's not pacing as much, but the heavy breathing persists. I just tested the water, and the pH is around 8-8.2 - yikes, I'm worried that's the culprit. Is this pH level causing his behavior? I've got some Indian almond leaf powder on the way, which should arrive by Wednesday or Thursday, and I know it can help lower the pH. Can I safely wait that long, or should I try to lower it sooner? Will the almond leaf powder be enough to bring the pH down to a safe level? Any advice would be super helpful - thanks in advance!

[Havenor]

What's your tap water pH, though?

[sSjey]

When testing your tap water, make sure to check the pH of freshly run water, then also test a glass that's been standing overnight. This will give you a better idea of the actual pH in your tank.

It's also a good idea to find out how hard your water is - you can usually find this info on your water provider's website. If your water is very hard, your KH is likely high as well, which means the pH will be harder to change due to the buffering effect of the KH.

[sunsetora]

What's your tap water pH, though?

i just retested it and it seems to be about 7.2-7.4

[boomer]

I posted about my betta's heavy breathing and pacing after a water change last night, and today he's not pacing as much, but the heavy breathing persists. I just tested the water, and the pH is around 8-8.2 - yikes, I'm worried that's the culprit. Is this pH level causing his behavior? I've got some Indian almond leaf powder on the way, which should arrive by Wednesday or Thursday, and I know it can help lower the pH. Can I safely wait that long, or should I try to lower it sooner? Will the almond leaf powder be enough to bring the pH down to a safe level? Any advice would be super helpful - thanks in advance!

If you're using tap water, did you account for the CO2 outgassing? @sSjey mentioned this earlier, and it's a crucial step - letting the water sit for 24 hours before testing. This is because CO2 in tap water can temporarily lower the pH, which might be misleading.

Also, based on the photo, I'd say the pH is likely in the high 7's, not 7.2-7.4. Considering the results from both pH tests, you should rely on the high-range test for accuracy. The regular range test shows blue, which could be 7.6, but it could also be higher since that's the maximum it measures.