Ph too high to add fish?

The EPA requires that tap water be buffered way above a pH of 7 so old lead pipes don't dissolve into our drinking water. That will drop as biological processes continue.

Since you are watching that (less important than the very toxic ammonia, the toxic nitrites & the toxic in numbers nitrates) you will see it drop slowly. The pH should not go below 6 or above 9. If it does, do an additional weekly 50% partial water change with prepared water of the same temperature.

Do not use distilled water in quantity again (more than 10% at a time). It is so different from the mineral level of tap water that the sudden osmotic change can hemorrhagic the gills & suffocate our fish or leave them so weakened that they get carried away by the next pathogens in the tank.

As the biological processes get going in your tank, the pH will naturally drop. The plants will help with that.

As a matter of fact. you may find that as the plants absorb carbon dioxide in the water (actually carbonic acid) that the pH may gradually rise a degree by the end of the day. Over night, while the plants are taking on carbon (actually they take a little oxygen) the pH will go up to the point a degree high by morning. That happens in some healthy ponds too.

One can add demineralized very gradually to water if rain forest fishes aren't breeding & you want to replicate the rainy season. Use a gallon jug and run an airline siphon to the tank. But that is a very gradual process. We never want to more than half the minerals in the water never want to jump or drop the fish more than one number in pH and never chill our fish.

Many aquarists do have to gradually drop the mineral level in their tanks (or use 32-gallon trash cans & 50-gallon food quality barrels dedicated to all things fish) to remix or cut their water in order to spawn may rain forest fishes such as some tropical killies, tetras, dwarf cichlids. peacock gudgeon, Rasboras and wild Bettas. It is easier to add adjusted water to the tank than to adjust it there.

I am frankly jealous of your water with a gh (is that close to dh?) of 7. Most of the above fish can be encouraged to spawn if the hardness is dropped to a degrees hardness of 7 to 9 or 120 PPM (parts per million) to maybe 160 PPM.

Our well water (depending upon the well) comes in at 445 to 750 PPM TDS (or total dissolved solids.) Village annual reports to the EPA (and copies mailed to citizens) enable us to figure how much of that is hardness & how much RO (reverse osmosis which is cheaper than distilled) water to add. It is easier for some people top do that in a 5-gallon, soap-less, plastic bucket from the hardware store and then add that as a part of the (often) weekly partial water changes. Those with more fish & tanks may used 32-gallon Rubbermaid trash cans or 50-gallon food quality barrels from the food industry or even 300-gallon cattle watering troughs (all dedicated to all things fishy).

I'm very impressed with how you are starting your aquarium. Some hobbyists do a fish-less cycle, adding a measured amount of pure ammonia (no scent, no detergent, no nothing else), One can cut the cycling time in half. Don't know how that works with plants in the tank because they also take up ammonia. Surely one can Google fish-less cycling and plants.

Where you are now, you are probably wise in putting in a few barbs or Danios. (Some barbs find guppy tails delicious, others don't bother them.) When your (10 or 20?) tank endures the spikes of ammonia & nitrites and test suggest 0 PPM ammonia & nitrites & under 20 PPM nitrates, add no more fish (in weight) than are in there. That will again set off the ammonia surge, but it shouldn't be quite so several. When things have settled down a second time, you decide whether to add more. :)

Good luck (which you seems to be manufacturing) and all the best!

it will be fine just use some really cheap fish to help start the cycle,mollies,guppies,ect. keep the filter running 24/7 and stop with the water changes. just add water during the cycling when it evaporates. once the cycle grabs hold the ph should level out. i have a 55 gal that was around 8.3 4 yrs ago when i first set it up now its a constant 7.6 due to the cycle has been established a long time. dont know what size tank ya have but a canister is best for maintaining water perameters including ph. good luck

challenging subject. lookup over yahoo or google. it will help!