How To Lower My Tank Ph?

[eslingerl10]

I have one male betta kept in a 3 gallon tank, filtered. I do 50% water changes every week because the tank is cycled, and the temperature is constant at 76 degrees fahrenheight. The pH currently is about 7.8, but I need the pH to be 7 or a little bit lower. My question is how can I safely use API pH down to lower the pH and keep it consistent through water changes? I have hard water, so it's already difficult to lower the pH, and I can't afford to use driftwood, and my filter is not big enough to use peat moss inside. I'm not willing to purchase acid pH buffer at the moment. I know that it's not the safest thing to use chemicals to lower the pH, but I think my fish will be happier this way. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[techen]

Can I ask why you require the PH to be lower? Normally it does not need to be messed with :3

 

[eslingerl10]

I've read plenty of articles on forums that say bettas need to be kept in a pH range in the high 6 and low 7, but my tap water is almost 8. I don't want to keep my fish in that high of a pH, but if it's not necessary, then I'll just forget the whole thing haha

 

[NickAu]

 
I've read plenty of articles on forums that say bettas need to be kept in a pH range in the high 6 and low 7, but my tap water is almost 8

Your Betta will be fine, I know a number of people who have a ph of 8.2 and their Bettas are thriving.
 
The only safe way to lower PH is to start with RO ( Reverse Osmosis ) water and re mineralize it, Please do not be tempted to use rubbish products that claim to lower PH.
 
Adding a PH lowering product will not work, Your buffering system will simply very quickly raise the pH back to its original state. You must remove the buffering ions from your tap water so that you may lower the pH.

 

[StevenF]

High PH is mainly caused by sodium, Potassium, calcium, and magnesium.  Potassium and Sodium are by far have the strongest effect on PH.  Lithium, Cesium, Rubidium, Strontium, and Barium will also increase PH but they are less common.  Most are water soluble and can only be removed via distillation or revers osmosis.  Also note many nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer are rich in potassium while others will have sodium .  So avoid using these fertilizers and potassium fertilizer.  Once you have clean water you need to add trace elements back in with small amounts of Calcium and Magnesium.  Without these elements plants and invertebrates will die. Fish mainly get there minerals from the food they eat and soft water fish will be fine in RO and distilled water  Hard water loving fish will not do well in RO or distilled water..
 
Other metals can also increase PH but their effect is generally very small and in most cases their effect can be ignored.  Products the decrease PH are also known as acids.  PH down products basically hope to cancel out the alkaline PH raising elements with acids that are low in PH.  Drift wood and other dead plant material lower PH by releasing acidic organic compounds.  Over time all of these methods of lowering PH will weaken and additional material will need to be added to keep it down.  Adding anything  to hard water makes it even harder.  Removing anything from the water makes it softer and generally lowers PH.

 

[eslingerl10]

 

 
I've read plenty of articles on forums that say bettas need to be kept in a pH range in the high 6 and low 7, but my tap water is almost 8

Your Betta will be fine, I know a number of people who have a ph of 8.2 and their Bettas are thriving.
 
The only safe way to lower PH is to start with RO ( Reverse Osmosis ) water and re mineralize it, Please do not be tempted to use rubbish products that claim to lower PH.
 
Adding a PH lowering product will not work, Your buffering system will simply very quickly raise the pH back to its original state. You must remove the buffering ions from your tap water so that you may lower the pH.
 

That makes sense. I'm currently getting my bachelor's in chemistry so I should have known better to understand the buffering capacity of the metal ions. Thank you guys!

 

[Byron]

Nick and Steven have both hit the mark.  The so-called pH-lowering chemicals are only effective if the buffering capacity of the source water (or the water in the aquarium if something calcareous is directly increasing the hardness) is very low.  If the buffering capacity is sufficient, it will prevent any permanent pH lowering, and the down/up fluctuation is far worse on fish.
 
Organic substances like wood, dry leaves, peat, fish excrement, etc will tend to lower the pH but these are again subject to the buffering capacity.  The harder the water, the stronger the buffering.  You could dilute the initial water as others have explained, but then water changes will also require diluted water.
 
Byron.

 

[cooledwhip]

pH means nothing! I breed bettas in hydrochloric acid!!
 
Just kidding ROFL