How To Lower The Ph?

fish.com1 · Mar 17, 2009

Hi,

Does anyone have any ideas on how i could lower the pH of my water without using RO water. I've heard of peat filtering, which i geuss is just a bag of peat stuffed inside a filter, but that doesn't seem too good to me, because if the peat has already softened the old water in the tank, and then you go and do a water change with harder tap water, wouldn't that shock kill the fish?

Anyway, i am hopefully going to be ripping my tank down and starting again so i don't need to try and gradually change the pH over a long period of time, because it will be a new setup.So can anyone think of a way of softening the water before it gets into the tank, so when doing water changes the water parameters of the new and old water is the same? The only thing i can think of is before i start this tank, is to experiment with adding a certain amount of peat to a certain amount of water, the day before i do the water change, so on the water change day the water will be at the required pH. Would this work? And i have also heard of rainwater being used. We live near three power stations so the water willl be quite acidic. Would this be ok to use, and does anyhing special need doing to the water to make it safe (apart from dechlorinator).

Thanks.

lyotim88 · Mar 17, 2009

why are you trying to lower your pH and what are you aiming to keep? i wouldn't personally use rainwater. I'd go for peat.

oscars r ace · Mar 17, 2009

why not use ph down?

OldMan47 · Mar 17, 2009

Why not just pour battery acid in the tank? It will work just as fast and be just as good for the fish as the pH down products they sell, not very that is, Oscars Race.
The wood or peat will gradually lower pH if the buffering capacity of the water isn't very high. The rainwater is much like using RO water, it is almost devoid of all minerals and reduce the buffering capacity of the water making it easier to lower with gentle methods.

rdd1952 · Mar 17, 2009

When you speak of "softening" your water, that is lowering the GH which may have little effect on your pH. The key is what your KH is. If it is high, then you have very litte chance of lowering the pH. If it's low, as mentioned, peat and wood will work. About the only way to lower KH is with water such as RO or rainwater had has 0 KH. Unless you are keeping some very delicate fish though, most can adapt to a higher pH.

Here is a pretty good article on GH, KH and pH.

fish.com1 · Mar 18, 2009

rdd1952 said:
When you speak of "softening" your water, that is lowering the GH which may have little effect on your pH. The key is what your KH is. If it is high, then you have very litte chance of lowering the pH. If it's low, as mentioned, peat and wood will work. About the only way to lower KH is with water such as RO or rainwater had has 0 KH. Unless you are keeping some very delicate fish though, most can adapt to a higher pH.

Here is a pretty good article on GH, KH and pH.

Thanks for the replies. The link was very helpful rdd. So if rainwater has a KH value of 0, then it can't keep the pH as stable as water with a higher KH can? My tapwater has the following parametrs -

pH - 7.6
KH - 179PPM or 10 dkh
GH - 215+PPM or 12dkh - Highest reading on the test kit(API)

My rainwater has a pH of 6.6 - 6.8. So if i mixed 50% rainwater with 50% tapwater would the pH come out at 7.1 (halfway between 6.6 and 7.6) and the KH 5dkh? The link stated that a KH of less tan 4.5 then pH swings are more likely, especially if weekly water changes are neglected. I do weekly water chnges anyway, and i will be using pressurized c02 on this tank so will that increase the KH of the water and help to mantain a steady pH?

The fish i am hoping to keep are rummy nose tetras.

Thanks.

drobbyb · Mar 18, 2009

Rummy nose tetras will adapt to your pH and hardness. They are not considered that delicate. They only need soft acid water for breeding. No action is necessary on your part to keep them.