How To Reduce Ph In Water?

[NewBea]

I know it's a bit silly (but I'm still a newbie) when I tested my water for PH so far I only used the normal PH kit which always came back at 7.6 (tested in both the tank and fresh from the tap). Then today just out of interest I done the high range PH test as well and it came back with a scary 8.8 in my tank and only 7.4 from the tap.
If the tap water is only 7.4 ish than what could have raised the PH level so high in the tank?
And what do you recommend I do to reduce it? Shall I just carry out water changes or is there a product I could by or even better is there a "home made" item that I could use?

 

[raptorrex]

I know it's a bit silly (but I'm still a newbie) when I tested my water for PH so far I only used the normal PH kit which always came back at 7.6 (tested in both the tank and fresh from the tap). Then today just out of interest I done the high range PH test as well and it came back with a scary 8.8 in my tank and only 7.4 from the tap.
If the tap water is only 7.4 ish than what could have raised the PH level so high in the tank?
And what do you recommend I do to reduce it? Shall I just carry out water changes or is there a product I could by or even better is there a "home made" item that I could use?

The most probable cause of the “apparently” high PH in your tank is the fact many water companies use CO2 to reduce the PH and therefore corrosion.
A drop of 1 PH is expected as the CO2 gasses off.

PROPERLY reducing the PH of your tap water is fraught with problems.
Water has a tendency, over time, to buffer back to its original state.
If you insist, its best to start with RO and add propriety mineral mix/’s to reconstitute to the required PH.

PS. It’s not “silly” just a very good question!

 

[CezzaXV]

Some good advice from Raptorexx there.

Generally we advise not tinkering with pH because it causes more problems than it solves, but 8.8, if it is indeed that, does seem exceptionally high. I'd test it again though, just to be sure.

Peat is one way of lowering the pH gradually and naturally. I'm not saying do it, but it might be an option you wish to research.

 

[NewBea]

If you insist, its best to start with RO and add propriety mineral mix/’s to reconstitute to the required PH.

PS. It’s not “silly” just a very good question!

Sorry I don't know what RO is
I have a Tetra easy balance water change conditioner which states that it stabilises the PH levels in the tank but I don't know what "stabilises" means in this case and whether it would help my really high PH balance

 

[CezzaXV]

RO is reverse osmosis. It's a special type of water you can usually buy at your LFS or get an expensive unit to make your own. It removes all of the minerals from the water so it is perfectly soft and has a perfect pH of 7.0. You can mix it in with the water you use when you do your weekly change to achieve a more desirable pH/hardness.

I wouldnt use the conditioner. Most of them will work for a little bit, then the pH will swing right back up/down to whatever it was before. A stable pH is far more important to your fish than what might be deemed a correct one.

Do you have fish in your tank right now?

 

[NewBea]

Generally we advise not tinkering with pH because it causes more problems than it solves, but 8.8, if it is indeed that, does seem exceptionally high. I'd test it again though, just to be sure.

Peat is one way of lowering the pH gradually and naturally. I'm not saying do it, but it might be an option you wish to research.

Thanks for the tips. I will retest the water. If it was a false result (it was a very clear purple colour on the API test scale) what could cause false results?

Do you have fish in your tank right now?

Yes, I do - 2 swordtails, 2 sailfin mollies and 4 other mollies. As far as I know they actually prefer a slightly higher PH but I thought this was a bit too high even for them.

 

[CezzaXV]

Have a google of peat in the aquarium - this in my opinion is the best option for you. It should gradually lower the pH which will be much kinder on your fish than dumping chemicals in there. It should also make it much easier for you to do water changes since there won't be such a massive difference between tank and tap, meaning less chance of shocking your fish.

 

[NewBea]

Have a google of peat in the aquarium - this in my opinion is the best option for you. It should gradually lower the pH which will be much kinder on your fish than dumping chemicals in there. It should also make it much easier for you to do water changes since there won't be such a massive difference between tank and tap, meaning less chance of shocking your fish.

Took your advice and it looks like I will be able to get hold of some granulate online. I also looked at how much quantity to add to the water. In the meantime I will keep testing the water.

 

[NewBea]

I retested the water last night and again this morning and both times the results came back with around 7.4 - so god knows what happened yesterday with that 8.8 but I know I didn't mistake the colour!
So panic is over!

 

[raptorrex]

A drop of 1 PH is expected as the CO2 gasses off.

oops this should have read "A rise of 1 PH"!
sorry there.