Stocking Ideas For 55 gallon

[Colin_T]

You can naturally lower the pH by adding almond leaves, driftwood, or coral.

Remove coral from that list of things that drop the pH. Coral skeletons are calcium carbonate and that will raise the pH and make it alkaline.

 

[Sarah73]

Remove coral from that list of things that drop the pH. Coral skeletons are calcium carbonate and that will raise the pH and make it alkaline.

Really? Grrr sorry.

 

[Byron]

You can naturally lower the pH by adding almond leaves, driftwood, or coral.

There is more to this. [Colin already mentioned the coral raising pH.]

Organics like peat, dried leaves, and wood, and also fish excrement and any dead fish or plant matter, will naturally work to acidify the water and thus lower the pH (and GH in some cases); but the effectiveness or extent they will do this depends entirely on the GH, KH and pH of the source water, and if any calcareous substances are present in the tank that might offset this.

KH (carbonate hardness or Alkalinity) works as a buffer on pH, keeping it stable and preventing fluctuations. The higher the GH and KH, the stronger the buffering effect. This is why the pH lowering chemicals generally do not work; they lower the pH initially, but then the buffering capability of the KH kicks in and the pH jumps back up.

Now, if the GH and KH are low, as in very soft and soft water to begin with, the organics will lower pH. But it may take more of them to do it depending upon the initial parameters.

 

[Fish345]

Ok, I'm going to email my the local water company and ask them the gH, kH and pH of the water.

Fun fact- The more acidic the water the more hydrogens it has. The more base the water is the more hydroxyl it has.