dH and pH

[Liliano]

Hi

I have a new tropical aquarium and am new to the hobby. My tank is now set up and i'll be ready to introduce my first fish in a couple of weeks.

I have run tests for dH and pH and my dH is 18 and my pH is 7.4. Have you got any tips on how I can naturallly lower the pH and the dH over a period of time, ie without buffering chemicals.

For instance, I heard that bogwood in an aquarium can lower the pH. Its this truth or myth and is there anything I can do to make the water softer.

Many Thanks

L

 

[tstenback]

Yes bogwood can possibly bring down the PH over time. Is there a specific reason why you want to alter the water chemistry? If you dont have to it is best to leave it alone. Here is an article that explains hardness and PH and the relationship between them.

When you say

My tank is now set up and i'll be ready to introduce my first fish in a couple of weeks.

does this mean it is cycled? If not then it may benefit to read this as it explains cycling and fishless cycling(which IMO is the way to go). HTH

 

[Liliano]

Hi

I filled it up yesterday and will leave it running for 2 weeks before I introduce my first fish a couple at a time. I put the nutrafin aqua and cycle in as per directions on the bottle etc.

The reason behind my question is that I would like to keep tetra's and rainbow's and am not sure which ones to choose from. Most of them in the book like soft slightly acidic water. I asked at my local aquarium shop and they said that tetra's (specifically neon's or cardinals) will be ok with harder, alkaline water and that if I wanted to lower Ph I should put bogwood in instead of buffering chemicals.

As one of the articles in this section said never trust an aquarium source until they are proven, I would I would get it confirmed on the forum.

Hope this all makes sense

 

[Liliano]

I've just read the article you posted, this definately is the a great way of doing things. I will adopt this practice as soon as I have bought some ammonia, and ensure I have a fully cycled tank before adding any fishy friends

Many Thanks for your help.

 

[tstenback]

Ask your LFS what the PH is in their tanks. If the fish are ok there and your PH is close to theirs then the fish should be alright in your tank as well. Most LFS use the same water you use, if you live in the same area, so their water parameters should be pretty close to yours.

I have kept neons and cardinals in most PH ranges as i have travelled alot across Canada in my years and have never had a problem keeping them. Good luck