Is it alright to add spring water?

[abe]

My ph is low, around 6.2. I'm trying to figure out how to make it a bit higher, in the neutral range. I have some Proper PH, but I don't like using it & it makes the water cloudy anyway.

So I was wondering if it would be ok to use bottled spring water? The kind I tested is 7.4, so would adding that raise the whole tank? & if so, would the new ph keep?

I've heard a little crushed coral will do the trick, but I can only find it in 15-20 lb bags

 

[modernhamlet]

Crushed coral or limstone will raise the KH and keep the pH from dropping further, far better and more safely than those pH products.

Why do you want to raise the pH? What fish are you keeping? Do you have recent test results for Nitrates? KH?

 

[abe]

I would just like it to be neutral so new fish can adjust a little easier. I'm going to be getting some fish in the mail soon, & the lady I ordered from said her ph is around 8.

My test readings are always the same, here they are:

ph - 6.2
kh - 40 ppm
gh - 25 ppm
& grr my nitrates are always at 40 ppm

I'm keeping the fish in my sig

Where would I find limestone? Would I just buy a rock & plop it in there?

 

[CathyG]

My ph is low, around 6.2.  I'm trying to figure out how to make it a bit higher, in the neutral range.  I have some Proper PH, but I don't like using it & it makes the water cloudy anyway.

So I was wondering if it would be ok to use bottled spring water?  The kind I tested is 7.4, so would adding that raise the whole tank?  & if so, would the new ph keep?

I've heard a little crushed coral will do the trick, but I can only find it in 15-20 lb bags

You would need to introduce at least 25% of your tanks capacity with bottled water to have any real effect on your PH IMO, then comes the trouble and expense of maintaining your PH levels with the same water during routine water changes. I have a higher PH (and water hardness) so use reverse osmosis water to soften my tank. 25 litres cost me £3.50, and I pay this monthly to maintain the balance. I don't know the size or cost of bottled spring water. My PH was once 7.8, using 25% RO water has gradually brought this down to 7.4 (I also use driftwood)

Your best bet is to add hardware, such as the crushed coral, which will raise your PH gradually. If you cannot find smaller bags of crushed coral, sea shell decorations will have the same effect of raising the KH and PH of your water.

You can gently acclimatise fish to different PH levels by floating the bag for over an hour, and over this time slowly adding tank water to the bag...

I would never recommend trying to alter your PH chemically, since your KH (buffering) is low, and your PH will only drop off again, these swings will stress your fish more than acclimatising them gently, or introducing more permanent and stable solutions such as sea shells or limestone...

Better still - you could select fish that prefer the parameters of your water, or order fish from someone who has already kept them for a while in the same parameters.

Good luck!

<edit> just a thought, for those who use full RO water (for Discus etc) the minerals you buy from your LFS to buffer the water parameters, may they help here?

 

[yhbae]

I would just like it to be neutral so new fish can adjust a little easier. I'm going to be getting some fish in the mail soon, & the lady I ordered from said her ph is around 8.

Which fishes did you order? Is it African rift lake species?

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Most fish will adapt fine to any reasonable ph. I would not use water or ph up to alter it as this poses a high risk of a crash.

 

[yhbae]

The reason I asked which species is because for most species they can handle quite large difference in pH compare to their native environment, but I'm not sure if African Lake species will live in pH of 6.4... The difference is quite large.

SO what were the species again?

 

[abe]

Thanks for all the help! The fish I will be getting soon are Endler's Livebearers, it just seems like a big adjustment from 8 to 6.2.

Should I add limestone or crushed coral? Will that keep the ph level steady? If not I guess I'll just leave things the way they are, I just thought it would be easier on the future fish I add (if I get any more tanks that is), because my lfs's ph is neutral.

 

[yhbae]

If I were you, I wouldn't add any pH adjusting items. I think it would be easier to acclimatise this batch, which appears to be a special case... Since you are not dealing with species that live natively in high pH environment, I don't think there's any reason for you to adjust your pH.

What I do to adjust large changes in pH is to use a air tube with a valve. I syphon out the new tank water into a bucket with the new fish and water that came from the store and let the new water drip (few drops per second). After few hours, the water would have changed close to the new environment, and fishes will usually do ok from that point on. Just net them out and put them into the new tank. (I'm assuming water temperature would still be about the same)

I had to do this to one of my bristlenose pleco when I moved her from pH 7.2 to pH 8.0.