How To Lower Ph Without Chemicals

[EliteFishy]

How do I lower the pH without adding any of those chemicals?

 

[Weaver]

I lowered mine using bogwood and peat and it worked fine except that it does turn the water a little yellow

 

[tttnjfttt]

Why do you want to lower your pH? Most fish will adjust to your local pH just fine.

 

[Teelie]

Bogwood, peat and R/O water are the best ways to safely lower pH. There are also "extracts" from certain biotopes that will also help though these are chemicals and best used with fish from that biotope.

 

[mikev]

Driftwood lowes Ph too.


Incidentally, where do you people get bogwood? LFS' in this area never heard about it. Is there some internet store that sells it?

(I need bogwood to lower gH....)

 

[Teelie]

Driftwood and bogwood are similar except that driftwood is generally from saltwater and bogwood is from bogs (freshwater). Bogwood is also brown where driftwood is normally a gray or white color.

Never tried them but this site sells it. Just do a google search for more sites.

 

[mikev]

Driftwood and bogwood are similar except that driftwood is generally from saltwater and bogwood is from bogs (freshwater). Bogwood is also brown where driftwood is normally a gray or white color.

Right, and Bogwood is supposed to lower gH (good for loaches, for example), while driftwood does not.

Never tried them but this site sells it. Just do a google search for more sites.

Thanks!,,, but this is a *driftwood* supplier; I was kind of hoping for a recommendation for a bogwood place. (Recommended since it is not always obvious where does the wood come from and if it is safe)

 

[Teelie]

Most driftwood suppliers also have bogwood, and the two terms are often used referring to bogwood making it more confusing.
A Google search came up with a list too. I buy all my bogwood at my LFS so I never have ordered from any websites.

 

[mikev]

I buy all my bogwood at my LFS so I never have ordered from any websites.

Lucky you! -- here they never heard of it (?!). The strange thing about the Google search is almost all the sites are in the UK....I was wondering if it even exists in the US.

 

[Teelie]

It does. Ask your LFS to try getting Mopani wood, it's the most common kind of bogwood for sale in the trade. It comes from African rivers.

Here we go, a decent supplier who has the wood.
http/www.azgardens.com/Driftwood.php

 

[mikev]

Thanks, I'll pester them about Mopani tomorrow...

Here we go, a decent supplier who has the wood.
http/www.azgardens.com/Driftwood.php

No, unless I'm missing something obvious, it is a Driftwood supplier again, and the word "bogwood" is nowhere on the site. Hmm.... are you saying that "African Driftwood" means "Bogwood?"

 

[Teelie]

Yeah. as I said, often driftwood is substituted for bogwood though it's the same thing. In this case it's obviously bogwood as the wood is brown, not the bleached look of salt-soaked wood. Plus, the plants they mention attaching it to are all freshwater ones.

 

[mikev]

Yeah. as I said, often driftwood is substituted for bogwood though it's the same thing. In this case it's obviously bogwood as the wood is brown, not the bleached look of salt-soaked wood. Plus, the plants they mention attaching it to are all freshwater ones.

I think I got it this time -- thanks! -- and sorry for wasting your time.

The pieces in my tanks are all dark brown without bleaching, I saw my lfs guy growing freshwater plants on the same type of wood, so I guess I have the right thing all along...darn., what a waste of everyone's time..sorry...

I'm guessing that bogwood is just a British term for the same thing (bogwood:driftwood == autumn: fall).

Thanks for solving the puzzle.

 

[littleimp]

I belive that bogwood lowers PH because it is sourcerd mainly from peat bogs. This makes it acidic & as such lowers alkalinity & PH.

 

[The-Wolf]

I'm guessing that bogwood is just a British term for the same thing (bogwood:driftwood == autumn: fall).

then you guess wrong
Bogwood is just that; wood that has come from bogs. I.E. the place where peat is dug up
Drift wood is just that; wood that has drifted ashore, be it a rivers shore or the sea shore.

As stated above bogwood is high in humic acid and therfore lowers the pH.
bogwood also contains tannins which also add to the overall lowering effect.

driftwood by comparrison is just a decoration, as it is "dead" of any useful
substances like tannings, humic acid or lignums.

I did a good post on wood, so good the mods decided to pin it
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=54177