Tap Water Parameter Dilemma

[FF_Member146894]

My city has always had weird water parameters being 10 dGH with a monster 8.5 pH
and they managed to lower the GH of the tap water by 3+ dGH

That means that if I mix in RO water like normal I'll have a stupidly unsuitable low GH, but if I lower the amount of RO water I mix in, the pH will stay at 8+
I don't know what to do in a situation like this other than buying GH restoring products, which I really don't want to do.
Is there another option?

 

[Ichthys]

Tap water is usually buffered. After a day the buffering wears off and the tap water pH changes. Is it still 8.5 after it has stood for a day?

 

[Byron]

I concur with the above post, you need to off-gas the CO2 (the "standing for a day") and that will give you a more reliable number.

However, the GH is more important to fish than pH, in general, so we should know the fish you intend or have now. And to confirm, is your tap water a GH of 7 dH?

 

[FF_Member146894]

I concur with the above post, you need to off-gas the CO2 (the "standing for a day") and that will give you a more reliable number.

it stays the same or nearly the same, it doesn't make a difference

However, the GH is more important to fish than pH, in general, so we should know the fish you intend or have now. And to confirm, is your tap water a GH of 7 dH?

the fish i'm most worried about is my schoutedeni puffer, which likes harder water with a lower pH
yes, the tap water is 7 dH now, which is considered to be on the low end for the puffer

 

[Byron]

it stays the same or nearly the same, it doesn't make a difference

the fish i'm most worried about is my schoutedeni puffer, which likes harder water with a lower pH
yes, the tap water is 7 dH now, which is considered to be on the low end for the puffer

The GH is the more crucial for fish. If you raise it, it may increase the pH further. I would not worry about pH over GH though.

 

[FF_Member146894]

The GH is the more crucial for fish. If you raise it, it may increase the pH further. I would not worry about pH over GH though.

so you think i should just leave the pH as it is? there won't be any long-term effects on the fish?

 

[Ichthys]

C. delphax is found alongside Blue Rams. This is probably the only Corydoras adapted to the temperatures. Corydoras from some other rivers experience the same high temperatures at times, but are not designed for permanent high temperatures.

Why has this post appeared in this thread??? I did not post it here.

 

[Byron]

so you think i should just leave the pH as it is? there won't be any long-term effects on the fish?

I can't be that absolute. The GH though, I took your 7 dH as minimum, but in fact this species can do much softer water. It is endemic (according to sources) to the Malebo Pool (formerly Stanley Pool), an area of the Congo River. The water is very soft. One pufferfish site says GH can be in the 4 to 10 dH range. The pH will be lower, but without knowing the chemistry of your water this may occur naturally.

 

[Byron]

Why has this post appeared in this thread??? I did not post it here.

I wondered that too when I saw it...we (you and I) were discussing this in another thread.

 

[FF_Member146894]

i will try to keep the GH near 5, the pH slightly out of preference, but i think it'll be fine that way for now
so the malebo pool and other west african lakes have softer water?
i always thought that they were on the harder side according to various care guides and biotope tanks

 

[Byron]

i will try to keep the GH near 5, the pH slightly out of preference, but i think it'll be fine that way for now
so the malebo pool and other west african lakes have softer water?
i always thought that they were on the harder side according to various care guides and biotope tanks

Be careful what you take from online information, it is only viable and worth following if the individual who wrote it is knowledgeable. I used a site specific to pufferfish, but I freely admit to not knowing their background. However, the Congo River flows through Central and West Africa and the water is very soft, there is plenty of evidence of that. So I would tend to accept this.

How are they lowering the GH from 10 to 7? And how are you intending to lower it to 5 dH? This is important, and would be expected to affect the pH too.

 

[FF_Member146894]

How are they lowering the GH from 10 to 7?

no idea, maybe they were increasing it on purpose before?

And how are you intending to lower it to 5 dH?

RO water, i'm doing it to lower the pH and lower GH is the only the consequence

 

[Byron]

no idea, maybe they were increasing it on purpose before?

RO water, i'm doing it to lower the pH and lower GH is the only the consequence

OK. You my already know this, but the water used in water changes has to be "adjusted" outside the tank before it is added, no in the tank. So this means a container suitable for the purpose. I did this for weeks one time, when trying to pin-point an issue. Very tedious, but necessary.

 

[FF_Member146894]

OK. You my already know this, but the water used in water changes has to be "adjusted" outside the tank before it is added, no in the tank. So this means a container suitable for the purpose. I did this for weeks one time, when trying to pin-point an issue. Very tedious, but necessary.

i know, i have lots of RO water holding containers and buckets to mix water