Lower Ph

[Xavier]

is there a way to lower pH safely w/o using those tablets?

 

[jtnova13]

i think adding driftwood will lower ph. I have also heard that seashells lower ph.

 

[d3tained]

MMM go to LFS and buy PH DOWN product and slowly lower the PH.Allot of people believe in Driftwood making your water softer and to lower PH but I have had no results using it.

 

[andywg]

Cheap and easy is collecting rainwater. Not a very reliable all year round way though.

 

[voo]

MMM go to LFS and buy PH DOWN product and slowly lower the PH.Allot of people believe in Driftwood making your water softer and to lower PH but I have had no results using it.

be careful using these products. If you live in a hardwater area, like me, then you'll get a precipitate in the water. My water turned white and i couldnt see anything it was that thick. I couldnt do anything either, just wait for the filter to sort it out or let it settle (which left everything covered in white).

 

[d3tained]

Wow thats nasty.To be honest ive not had any problems with it sofar and workes well.

 

[cs091]

Just wondering why you want to lower the pH?

I got the impression that (unless you want some unusual fish that your LFS have to order in) all the fish in your LFS will be used to the same water that comes out of your mains - dechlorinated of course.

My LFS told me that the fish they stocked were all acclimatised to our local water and changing the pH or hardness could be stressful for the fish.

Is this good advice or just the LFS doing what they do? and expecting us to replace fish when they die after taking their advice?

 

[voo]

Just wondering why you want to lower the pH?

I got the impression that (unless you want some unusual fish that your LFS have to order in) all the fish in your LFS will be used to the same water that comes out of your mains - dechlorinated of course.

My LFS told me that the fish they stocked were all acclimatised to our local water and changing the pH or hardness could be stressful for the fish.

Is this good advice or just the LFS doing what they do? and expecting us to replace fish when they die after taking their advice?

After i had my problem trying to lower the pH they told me the same thing - that the fish were used to our local water and the pH shouldnt need changing.

 

[Xavier]

Just wondering why you want to lower the pH?

I got the impression that (unless you want some unusual fish that your LFS have to order in) all the fish in your LFS will be used to the same water that comes out of your mains - dechlorinated of course.

My LFS told me that the fish they stocked were all acclimatised to our local water and changing the pH or hardness could be stressful for the fish.

Is this good advice or just the LFS doing what they do? and expecting us to replace fish when they die after taking their advice?

After i had my problem trying to lower the pH they told me the same thing - that the fish were used to our local water and the pH shouldnt need changing.

i want to do it because all the fish in my tank are acting strange and the pH of all the water is like 8. w/e and it's really blue instead of green which i want it to be

 

[voo]

Hmm you want green water???
Most people try to get rid of green water...

 

[jtnova13]

why is your water blue? it should be clear. Anyway, using pH up or down or proper pH don't work or work to some extent but through a very painful process. What size tank is it? I think another way to lower pH is to get an air pump and bubbler and have it oxygenate/remove CO2 from the water.

As far as the LFS, they may have acclimatised the fish to the local kH and gH, but the LFS near me all try to get the pH close to right for the fish that require anything above or below 6.5-7.5

 

[unspoken930]

I think theyre talking about the color on the test kit....

 

[cs091]

I think another way to lower pH is to get an air pump and bubbler and have it oxygenate/remove CO2 from the water.

Doesn't ADDING CO2 lower the pH? Or am I getting confused?

 

[MHunt]

I've been trying to do the same recently. I read in Practical Fishkeeping recently that excessive areation of the water can increase your pH. Try turning any airstones or venturi's on your filter down or off for a while and see what happens. Fish waste is naturally acidic, and should begin to lower the pH if there isn't anything else increasing the pH. Also remember that any limestone or calcium type rocks will increase the water hardness, and so you pH also

I had a pH of about 8 - 8.5 in my tropical tank for a little while when it was maturing , and this method has reduced the pH to about 7. I also have a piece of bogwood in my tank, but that hasn't made the tank as acidic as i thought it would!

 

[voo]

Doesn't ADDING CO2 lower the pH? Or am I getting confused?

Yeah CO2 causes carbonic acid which will lower the pH. When i started with CO2 my tank went from pH 8 down to 6.5