A Good Way To Lower Your Ph And/or Soften Tyour Water For A Long Time?

[ZoddyZod]

They eat like pigs and grow normally so I guess they are ok. If hardness is the greater issue though wont 180+ not be good for them. That is what I got on my API test kit.

soft water fish can behave and act completely normally in hard water conditions, but there is a good chance that their bodies will not be able to handle the increased mineral content and they will have shorter lifespans.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Synodontis nigriventris (the true Upside Down Catfish) has been found in the wild with a pH as high as 8.4, so they will be fine. What other fish are you keeping? Are any of them known to be wild caught?

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Finally, I said:

TDS (hardness) is much more of an issue than pH.

I did not say GH or general hardness. But to have been more accurate I should have said "total hardness".

To have been 'more accurate' you shouldn't have said hardness or total hardness and that's why I felt the need to clarify for the benefit of those who are not in the know. Hardness is total divalent ions (but mostly calcium and magnesium). Carbonate hardness is mostly carbonate and bicarbonate. And total hardness is the sum of these two.

TDS however is, as I said, the total ions in solution which, for example, could include sodium (monovalent and not a carbonate hardness). So TDS is not hardness or total hardness, it is TDS. Hope that clears it up for you.

 

[ApistoNut]

what fish are you keeping sorry?
#

 

[Prime Ordeal]

soft water fish can behave and act completely normally in hard water conditions, but there is a good chance that their bodies will not be able to handle the increased mineral content and they will have shorter lifespans.

You know, I see that statement on every forum I've been on and yet I've not ever really seen any scientific evidence to back it up. Do you know of any? Certainly my own experience doesn't confirm it, unless it is species specific and I just haven't kept those species.

 

[ApistoNut]

hello?

 

[Livewire88]

You dont live in Bristol do you?? lol the water down here is super hard and has high PH (8.2).

Saying that I keep Cardinal tetra's and Electric Blue Ram's and have not had any issues with them as yet (touch wood) I only lost some Cardinal's when I first set the tank but since it has matured all has been fine.

As allready mentioned keeping your PH stable is the main thing, by trying to buffer the PH it will more than likley cause you more issues.

 

[ApistoNut]

I swear by alder cones

 

[Prime Ordeal]

I swear by alder cones

Who's he then, a country and western singer?

 

[ApistoNut]

No hes a jazz man, you can collect them locally and they bring down your ph levels slowly and quite a bit, like liveweire said bristol has a high ph level and i keep my apistos at 6.8ish

 

[Prime Ordeal]

I knew what they were. I was just being silly!

 

[bristlenoseitplecoman]

I am keeping emerald catfish (brochis splendens), black neon tetras, a BN pleco, a mystery snail, and I will eventually have upside down catfish. To what I know none are wild caught. My 180+ is in GH and my KH is 240+.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Brochis splendens are found in the wild upto pH 8, again a fish that should be absolutely fine in your water, I had a group for about six months last year. BN catfish are very adaptable too, some keepers add them to African Rift Valley setups. Snails do far better in alkaline water, their shells get attacked by acidic water.

About the only questionable fish you have is the Black Neon Tetras, which may well be captive bred, so are more likely to tolerate your water (but not successfully produce fry). Of the South American tetras, Lemons; Priscilla; Red Eye are known to inhabit areas with very differing water types including hard water.

 

[svenrufus]

I'm quite new to this malarkey, but living in a alkaine area (pH around 8 from the tap), when I set the tank up I did a mix of 50/50 tap and rainwater. When I had it tested before I'd purchased my own test kit, the bloke at the shop was surprised that the pH was 7 until I told him why.

I guess that the mix would also bring down the hardness. You could start adding rainwater slowly to the water changes in a controlled gradual way.

 

[bristlenoseitplecoman]

The only problem with that is I live in an area with only 10-20 inches of rain a year. I am glad though that they can be fine with the conditions.