Lowering Ph

[Crossfire]

I just checked the pH of my tap, which is 7.6. I need my tank to be 6.5ish...should i add peat to my filter or should i buy some pH lowering chemicals? Any help is greatly appreciated

 

[Proxo]

Why do you need your pH so low?

 

[Crossfire]

Why do you need your pH so low?

because all the fish i am adding live in acidic water and prefer pH from 6-5

 

[AshleyMac]

The best way to keep ph low (and stable) is to use distilled water. Just make sure you are either only using distilled or are very careful to always make sure you mix is consistent. I feel that fish do better acclimating to a ph environment that is a little off from what they prefer than dealing with fluctuating ph (lethal to yer fish.)

 

[Crossfire]

The best way to keep ph low (and stable) is to use distilled water. Just make sure you are either only using distilled or are very careful to always make sure you mix is consistent. I feel that fish do better acclimating to a ph environment that is a little off from what they prefer than dealing with fluctuating ph (lethal to yer fish.)

would i have to use water conditioners for distilled water?

 

[Tolak]

Hardness is often just as important, if not more so than pH. Unless you are dealing with certain wild caught species, or breeding certain species acclimating fish to a different pH than found in the wild is no big deal. Most pH ranges found are associated with the location where the fish is found in the wild. Many species are kept and/or bred in levels different from this.

If you are looking to breed or keep some of the more difficult species consider buying a RO system. Adjusting tap water is difficult & hard to keep consistent in all but the softest of water supplies. By adding anything to the water, peat, chemicals, and the food & waste products associated with fish you have to be concerned with total dissolved solids, which is another aspect of water.

Your water hardness is a component of TDS, generally a higher pH shows a higher hardness level. Hardness stabilizes pH, so using peat, chemicals, or whatever to drop pH it will rebound to near the original pH level in a short amount of time. Starting with RO gives you a blank slate so to speak, you can adjust the pH, hardness to stabilize that pH, and have much more consistent water parameters.

 

[RadaR]

Unless you are dealing with certain wild caught species, or breeding certain species acclimating fish to a different pH than found in the wild is no big deal.

+1

 

[Crossfire]

Just one more question: During fishless cycling, the ammonia causes the pH to rise...does it drop after the fishless cycling is done or will it always be that high

 

[RadaR]

Just one more question: During fishless cycling, the ammonia causes the pH to rise...does it drop

Where'd you read that. Most people see their pH decrease as a result of bio-acidification during cycling. Your tank stats will closely resemble your tap water because pressumably youll be doing weekly water changes.

 

[Crossfire]

Just one more question: During fishless cycling, the ammonia causes the pH to rise...does it drop

Where'd you read that. Most people see their pH decrease as a result of bio-acidification during cycling. Your tank stats will closely resemble your tap water because pressumably youll be doing weekly water changes.

I read it in the fishless cycle thread

 

[TheRedDarren]

You can also use c02 to drop the PH.

 

[RadaR]

Just one more question: During fishless cycling, the ammonia causes the pH to rise...does it drop

Where'd you read that. Most people see their pH decrease as a result of bio-acidification during cycling. Your tank stats will closely resemble your tap water because pressumably youll be doing weekly water changes.

I read it in the fishless cycle thread

If that's correct then yes the pH should return to normal. If the ammonia causes an increase in pH, then when it is no longer present, the pH should return to normal. After all, once cycling is complete, you wont be dosing 3-4ppm will you. And you'll be doing water changes. Nothing to worry about, let it take it's course.