Ph/kh Lowering

[Em29]

My tank has not yet finished it's cycle (believe me you will know about it when it does ) - but test have shown my water is really hard and PH over 8.2.

What the heck do I do about this?? I want to put platy's in my tank

 

[TekFish]

I believe, [correct me if I'm wrong], that you can add RO water to 'dilute' the buffering agents?
I mean this is my view of it, I may be completely wrong, but it makes sense to me.

TekFish

 

[MBOU]

Do nothing

Platies will be just fine in hard water/high ph!

Itsfar more dangerous to be messing about with those level than it is to just buy species more suitable to your water. Avoid wild caught south american fish etc (most tetras etc arent wild caught anyway so you'll be fine!)

 

[Proxo]

Doesn't the pH go nuts during a cycle anyway?

 

[Em29]

Ah yes - I have always been a fan of the 'Do Nothing' approach I like the sound of that!!

Tekfish - I am fairly new to fish keeping and I have no clue what you are saying but it sounds very pretty (is it something to do with reverse osmosis).

Proxo - You may be right - will research

 

[drobbyb]

Yes, do nothing It's best not to do anything. More well meaning fish keepers do much more harm than good trying to hit a target pH or KH when their native one is fine. It's a delicate and sometimes complicated process. Unless you have a very specific reason for doing so, it's best to be avoided.

 

[Electric Warrior]

Don't know if you have anything in your tank yet, but just adding bogwood will lower the ph a little bit. Wait until the tank is cycled though, because it will change a bit. Lots of people will use peat in their filtration systems if they are doing a blackwater setup, which will lower ph a bit. If you are only concerned about Platy's, I wouldn't do anything; they will be fine. Discus or something would be a different story.

 

[Dazzler666]

+1 do nothing. Personally id wait till your tank is fully cycled and settled, then see what your PH & KH are at, then consider if necessary adjusting your PH, etc.
Ideally you dont want to start messing but if you do end up needing too, personally id look at the 'simple' methods, i.e. adding bog/drift wood and/or using peat. I looked at the use of RO water but decided against it as seemed too complex & the cost of the extra water (not to mention equipment!!) used when filtering through an RO unit.
As stated, sit tight for now and see how things settle. Also, id test your tap water just to check that the water is that high out of the tap!!
Hope this helps .

 

[Em29]

Good advice -thank you. Will re assess after cycling but hoping platies will be fine

 

[dwarfgourami]

Platies are typical hard water fish: they will love your conditions. I keep mainly livebearers for this specific reason; they do fine.

Fish that prefer hard alkaline include: platies, mollies, guppies, swordtails (and other relatives, such as limias, heterandrias etc) and many types of rainbow fish; also Lake Inle fish like galaxy rasboras and emerald rasboras. Also East African cichlids (though they are not for a community tank like the one you are planning).

Fish that don't mind include: bristlenose plecs (mine have bred prolifically in PH 8.4), many species of corydoras (again my peppered cories spawned frequently), many danios, a few tetras (black neons and black phantoms should be fine).

Oh, and shrimps like hard and alkaline as well.

 

[Em29]

Dwarfgourami - you have made my day - panic over. Just need to get this cycling show on the road