How To Lower Ph?
- Thread starter zophie
- Start date
Why do you need to change the pH, what fish are going in there? Usually fish can adapt to different pH's, especially if they were bred/raised/sold in your area. Keep in mind pH is logarithmic, and a pH of 6.5 is ten times more acidic than a pH of 7.5. Fish generally like a stable pH rather than an "ideal" pH which fluctuates back and forth. A changing pH can be more stressful than one that isn't quite "right".
If it really is necessary to change pH, you can buy different packaged aquarium chemicals (essentially just acid) designed to lower pH, or you can try peat moss or pieces of dark bogwood, which will release tannic acids that can make your water cloudy or brown, but is a slower, more "natural" way of lowering pH. You can also boil or strain water through peat to get it to the ideal pH before adding it to the tank. You shouldn't use carbon in your filter if you are using bogwood or peat to change your pH. I don't know if carbon affects the bottled chemicals as well though, I have only personally experimented with peat.
Changing pH can be difficult depending on the buffering capacity (its ability to resist pH changes) of your local water. Some water departments (like mine) may add a chemical to the water to raise pH to protect the pipes, and will raise even further a bit after leaving the tap. Things like this can make it difficult to mess with pH.
I apologize if I was overly verbose and you already knew the ins and outs of pH, and just wanted some methods of changing it
If it really is necessary to change pH, you can buy different packaged aquarium chemicals (essentially just acid) designed to lower pH, or you can try peat moss or pieces of dark bogwood, which will release tannic acids that can make your water cloudy or brown, but is a slower, more "natural" way of lowering pH. You can also boil or strain water through peat to get it to the ideal pH before adding it to the tank. You shouldn't use carbon in your filter if you are using bogwood or peat to change your pH. I don't know if carbon affects the bottled chemicals as well though, I have only personally experimented with peat.
Changing pH can be difficult depending on the buffering capacity (its ability to resist pH changes) of your local water. Some water departments (like mine) may add a chemical to the water to raise pH to protect the pipes, and will raise even further a bit after leaving the tap. Things like this can make it difficult to mess with pH.
I apologize if I was overly verbose and you already knew the ins and outs of pH, and just wanted some methods of changing it
as said above a steady stable pH is much more important than a perfect pHaccording to books and websites etc.
what fish do you want to keep?
ive kept tetras, discus, corys etc etc that all are recomended in pH lower than 7 and my water is 7.5 ish and ive never had an issue.
what fish do you want to keep?
ive kept tetras, discus, corys etc etc that all are recomended in pH lower than 7 and my water is 7.5 ish and ive never had an issue.
Please help us to help you Zophie. What is it you are trying to accomplish with the pH drop? Maybe there is something we can suggest to help you with the underlying problem you are facing.
Thanks alot for the adice
I am proboly getting Cardinal Tetras, WCMM, and Guppies?I'm not sure about the last one.... I always seem to be changing my stock, but they usually like acidic water.
I want to lower the pH so the fish in my tank won't be stressed out my the alkaline water. Also, if my pH gets to high, any remaining Ammonia in my water will be toxic. I'm sure that my fish may be able to live well in alkaline waters ( Cardinals, WCMM, mabey Guppies) but I want to make sure they have the best life as possible.
Thankyou, Zophie
drobbyb
Bowhead
A pH of 7.5 will be fine for those fish mentioned, unless you are planning on breeding the cardinals. It's been said here in this thread, but it is more important to have a steady pH than a perfect one. It may seem simple altering your pH, but you have to realize that every time you do a water change you subject your fish to a change in pH until the method you are using stabilizes. You can prepare water ahead of time in a large container and then use it to fill the tank, but this results in another container of water sitting around the house. Some people mix their tap water with RO water to achieve a lower pH. RO units are expensive.
My point being, there really is no reason to lower your pH unless you are working on a breeding project. If you bought the fish locally, chances are they are already acclimated to your tap's pH. Adding them to lower pH water will stress them out and possibly hurt them even though you have the best of intentions. Changing your pH is not needed.
My point being, there really is no reason to lower your pH unless you are working on a breeding project. If you bought the fish locally, chances are they are already acclimated to your tap's pH. Adding them to lower pH water will stress them out and possibly hurt them even though you have the best of intentions. Changing your pH is not needed.
With those fish, it's not necessary to change the pH. It's only going to cause a big headache for you and add more stress on the fish. You really only need to worry about pH if you are keeping sensitive fish like discus or something.
As for ammonia, is your tank cycled? Ammonia is toxic regardless of pH, there should be no measurable ammonia in a cycled tank. You should not have to worry about ammonia becoming more toxic, as there should be none to become more toxic in the first place.
Water usually does not randomly go up in pH (unless you have a chemical additive like in our water, or are putting tons of sea shells in your tank or something). Your pH should not become much higher. That said, a pH of 7.6 isn't that high. 7.6 pH suits guppies and WCMMS just fine. Cardinals do like it lower, but if you acclimate them nice and slow they should take it fine.
Also, if you really want to have the perfect pH for your fish, it's a lot better to pick fish for your water rather than make your water suit your fish. If you just switched the cardinals to something that likes 7.6 water, you wouldn't have to worry about the pH at all.
Just whatever you do, don't touch the pH.
As for ammonia, is your tank cycled? Ammonia is toxic regardless of pH, there should be no measurable ammonia in a cycled tank. You should not have to worry about ammonia becoming more toxic, as there should be none to become more toxic in the first place.
Water usually does not randomly go up in pH (unless you have a chemical additive like in our water, or are putting tons of sea shells in your tank or something). Your pH should not become much higher. That said, a pH of 7.6 isn't that high. 7.6 pH suits guppies and WCMMS just fine. Cardinals do like it lower, but if you acclimate them nice and slow they should take it fine.
Also, if you really want to have the perfect pH for your fish, it's a lot better to pick fish for your water rather than make your water suit your fish. If you just switched the cardinals to something that likes 7.6 water, you wouldn't have to worry about the pH at all.
Just whatever you do, don't touch the pH.
Actually, at a low pH, it is nitrites that are very toxic. In the 6.5 pH range, ammonia is far less toxic. Either way, a fully cycled filter is the key to acceptable water chemistry. As others have already said, you have fish that thrive at a mere 7.5 pH. I personally keep guppies in a pH of 7.8 and can't stop them from overpopulating their tank at that pH. The WCMM are a fish that never appealed to me because they were hard to keep with most tropicals since they like cool water like a goldfish. I have also kept neons and cardinals in my water with no troubles at all.
waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
Tetras will be fine.
~~waterdrop~~
~~waterdrop~~
N0body Of The Goat
Oddball and African riverine fish keeper
If you want Neon or Cardinal Tetras, keep space for them and add ~six months after your tank is cycled
waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
Yes, this is correct, you do want the tank to have aged about 6 months for the first neon/cardinal introduction. WD
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