This is my tank right now, pretty dark, as the title said; do I have to remove them after they are rotten or not at and how to keep pH level the same when do a water change?
Is it necessary to remove Indian almond leaves in a blackwater tank?
- Thread starter Barry Tetra
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No, you can just let them break down. Looks great! 
OP
OP
How do I keep my pH level the same when doing water changes?No, you can just let them break down. Looks great!
I realized that every time I do water change pH always increase from 6.2 to 7
OP
OP
Let some fresh water sit with some Indian almond leaves for a couple days before a water change, then use that water to change the water
PH fluctuates throughout the day. Are you checking it about the same time each day.
Edit: day
Edit: day
Last edited:
That’s a big jump!
OP
OP
What does DA stands for?
Suppose to say “day”. Sorry.
Indian Almond Leaves lowers pH, does not increases pH.
What is the pH of tap water before adding to the tank?
If pH increases then it’s more likely something in the tank is increasing the pH such as the substrate, rocks or coral decor.
It’s possible that coral or substrate contains bicarbonates which is the most common factor in raising pH.
But most freshwater fish tend to do better in pH of 7 or over as that is more alkaline (below 7 is acidic).
So imho it’s better having ph at 7 rather than lower, so no bad thing unless you keep wild caught or fish that specifically needs acidic water such as discus, amazon or west African species.
As Deanasue mentions, pH can fluctuate from tap water throughout the day so it’s a good idea to test the tap water at the same sort of time as you do water change and compare to other certain times of the day. Just to see if there are differences.
Worth testing anyway and seeing if any different at all, a fast way of testing pH is to have a digital TDS meter, normally these will have a pH reader as well as TDS readings. A good quality TDS that’s calibrated is fine, loads available to buy online and not expensive.
What is the pH of tap water before adding to the tank?
If pH increases then it’s more likely something in the tank is increasing the pH such as the substrate, rocks or coral decor.
It’s possible that coral or substrate contains bicarbonates which is the most common factor in raising pH.
But most freshwater fish tend to do better in pH of 7 or over as that is more alkaline (below 7 is acidic).
So imho it’s better having ph at 7 rather than lower, so no bad thing unless you keep wild caught or fish that specifically needs acidic water such as discus, amazon or west African species.
As Deanasue mentions, pH can fluctuate from tap water throughout the day so it’s a good idea to test the tap water at the same sort of time as you do water change and compare to other certain times of the day. Just to see if there are differences.
Worth testing anyway and seeing if any different at all, a fast way of testing pH is to have a digital TDS meter, normally these will have a pH reader as well as TDS readings. A good quality TDS that’s calibrated is fine, loads available to buy online and not expensive.
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