pH level question

[Jennifer_R]

My tap water pH is 7.2, but after water change cycle it's 7.4.

What is a natural way to lower it, I'd like it to be 6.8? (I have a Ram only tank I'd like to keep between 6.4-7.2). Rams don't like too many chemicals.

Thanks!
~Jen

 

[djprincessx]

trying to find out all the info i can for ya!

Lowering the pH: The pH can be lowered by using a pH-lowering chemical (available at pet shops). Be aware that many pH-lowering products use phosphate-based chemicals. Phosphate is a nutrient that encourages algae growth. The pH can also be lowered by plants and fish during respiration, when CO2 is exhaled into the water. In hard water, the pH may be difficult to lower. First, soften the water by peat filtration or reverse osmosis, and then try lowering the pH.

If you live near any freshwater rivers or streams, go down and check them out and look for any driftwood, branches 1/2" in diameter, roots from trees, stuff like that. Driftwood, ie wood that has been immersed in water for several weeks is a great source of a chemical called tanic acid, which can naturally lower your pH. It may turn your water a light yellowish brown, but that's okay.

Best bet, is if you find any, first clean it. Scrub it off in a sink or with a hose to remove any dirt or nasties. Then do one of these 3 things to sterilize it.

1. Place in a bucket with a 1:4 ratio lukewarm water and bleach. Let soak 20 minutes, then rinse off, and refill bucket with hot water and dechlor and let soak again to ensure bleach is neutralized.

or

2. Boil wood for 20 minutes, or let wood soak up water and place in oven @ 200F for 2 hours.

or

3. Steam wood in pot for 10 minutes, flip over and steam again for 10 minutes.

All 3 methods will help kill any bacterias on the wood, which you definatly don't want in your tank. Once cleaned, fill a bucket with water you use to fill your fish tank with, and place the wood in it. Let sit for 48 hours. Test the pH of the water every 12 hours to see if a change in the pH happens.... if so, you can use the wood to lower your pH naturally.

Hope this all works for ya!

 

[Lateral Line]

7.2 - 7.4 is fine. Trying to alter pH is almost always fraught with problems unless you understand the chemistry. Adding bogwood or some peat will usually drop pH, but in poorly buffered water, could send the pH crashing down very low. It isn't a simple matter.

 

[Jennifer_R]

7.2 - 7.4 is fine. Trying to alter pH is almost always fraught with problems unless you understand the chemistry. Adding bogwood or some peat will usually drop pH, but in poorly buffered water, could send the pH crashing down very low. It isn't a simple matter.

I've tried drift wood and peat moss in trying to lower a 100 gal tank.

-Drift wood changes color of water to a nice tea brown!
-Peat in the filter... seems never enough.

I know, I'll end up believing the fish will adapt, as I've been told so often. I just wanted to see what else was out there.



Chemicals:
I have a "pH Neutralizer" tank chemical, only seems to cloud the water and keep the pH at its previous level. With Rams, the tank I'm concerned with, I cannot put chemicals in every other day as I check the chemical changes.

Thanks,
~Jen

 

[Lateral Line]

Be careful with pH adjusting chemicals. They are, as has been pointed out already, almost always made with phosphate salts which can simply give you an algae bloom.

To drop your pH, you need to reduce the buffering capacity sufficiently to alter the pH, but not so much that your water becomes unstable.

 

[Bangin]

You can lower the ph by using R/O water, which rams will actually prefer because it's soft and acidic. CO2 will also lower the ph.

You'll want a kH of 3-4° in the tank before attempting to lower the ph.