Water Conditioners & pH

API pH Up

FreshwaterPlant safe

API pH Up is a liquid pH adjuster for freshwater aquariums whose water has drifted too acidic. One millilitre treats 38 litres and lifts the pH a step at a time, which makes it a tool for fine-tuning rather than wholesale change. It is colourless, leaves the water clear, and contains no phosphate or nitrate, so a correction today does not become an algae problem next month. It also adds a little carbonate hardness, which helps the new reading hold. Test with an API pH kit, dose, wait, and test again before adding more. The 37 ml and 118 ml bottles are available in South Africa through Jungle Aquatics.

Size: 37 ml

View at Jungle Aquatics

Live pricing and stock on jungleaquatics.com — purchase through Jungle Aquatics, with delivery across South Africa.

Dosage calculator

Enter your aquarium volume and the calculator works out how much API pH Up to use for each rate on the pack.

Aquarium volume

Measured in

Use the water the tank actually holds, less substrate and decor.

Single dose1 ml per 38 litres
Enter a volumeRetest before any further dose; keep changes under 0.2 pH per 24 hours

Test with an API pH kit first, and never chase a big correction in one go.

A guide only — always follow the dosing instructions printed on the pack, and measure with the bottle's cap or a syringe rather than by eye.

Technical details

Product type	Liquid pH adjuster (raises pH)
Sizes	37 ml, 118 ml
Dose	1 ml per 38 litres; re-test before any further dose
Treats	37 ml treats 1 406 litres; 118 ml treats 4 484 litres (one dose)
How often	Up to once a day, testing between doses
Suitable for	Freshwater aquariums (harmless in marine tanks but too mild to shift their pH)
Safe with	Live plants
Form	Colourless liquid, phosphate-free and nitrate-free
Made by	Mars Fishcare, USA

Keep the total change under 0.2 pH units in any 24-hour period unless you know your fish tolerate more.

How much do I dose, and how fast can I raise the pH?

Add 1 ml per 38 litres of water, let the filter mix it through, and test again before the next dose. Go gradually: many fish struggle with a swing of more than 0.2 pH units in 24 hours, so take several days to get from, say, 6.4 to 7.0 rather than forcing it in one go. You can repeat the dose once a day as long as you test in between. The 37 ml bottle holds 37 such doses and the 118 ml bottle 118, which covers a long run of adjustments on most home tanks.

Raises pH in small, controlled steps

The dose is 1 ml for every 38 litres the tank actually holds. Add it, give the filter time to circulate it, then re-test before you consider a second dose. Many fish struggle with a shift of more than 0.2 pH units in 24 hours, so work toward a target over several days rather than in one evening.

Colourless and clear, with nothing in it to feed algae

pH Up is a clear liquid that mixes away without tinting or hazing the water. The formula is free of phosphate and nitrate, the two nutrients that most often turn a water additive into a green-water problem, so you can correct the pH without paying for it in algae later.

Lifts carbonate hardness along with the pH

Water with very little carbonate hardness has nothing to hold its pH steady, so a reading corrected one evening can slump back by the next morning. Because pH Up raises KH as well, the correction it makes is better anchored, and it is the obvious choice when a test kit shows both pH and KH running low.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use API pH Up in a marine tank?

It will not harm a marine aquarium, but it is designed for fine adjustments in freshwater and is too mild to shift the pH of saltwater in any useful way. A marine or African cichlid system that needs to sit at 8.2 is better served by API Proper pH 8.2.

How much API pH Up does a 200 litre tank need?

Just over 5 ml for a full 200 litres, worked out at 1 ml per 38 litres. Dose, wait for the filter to mix it, and test before repeating; if the first dose barely moves the reading, your water is strongly buffered and needs patient daily dosing rather than a bigger measure.

Does API pH Up raise KH as well as pH?

Yes, it adds some carbonate hardness along with lifting the pH, which is useful because water with no KH cannot hold a reading for long. If your tank drops back to where it started within a day or two, low KH is usually the reason.

Is API pH Up safe for live plants and sensitive fish?

It is safe with live plants, as is pH Down. Fish are the ones to watch: a change of more than 0.2 pH units in 24 hours stresses many species, so move slowly and test between doses.

Is API pH Up available in South Africa?

Yes. Jungle Aquatics in Fourways, Johannesburg carries both the 37 ml and 118 ml bottles and delivers across South Africa; current stock and pricing are on jungleaquatics.com.

Stocked & supported by Jungle Aquatics

South Africa's leading pet and aquarium store since 2007 — with the API range on the floor in Fourways, advice from people who test water every day, and easy ordering from anywhere in the country.

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