Lowering pH for Discus

[Hamsnacks]

Never had an issue in the past with pH as my tap water was typically 7.
in my 225 I have noticed its closer to 8-8.2, I'm guessing due to the amount of stone in the tank.

I haven't gotten the Discus yet, so it's not a serious concern but I'd like to as soon as possible.

From my research online I think the most natural way is Almond Leaves, however, I think I'd need about 22 leaves, which I plan on putting in the sump. 1 leaf per 10 gallons.

Few Questions:

1) Have others tried this method, was it successful? Was the color noticeable in your tank?
2) Will this be a steady method, I'd rather a steady higher pH than one that is constantly going up and down?
3) How long do they last for?

Recommendations? Other methods instead?

Thank you

 

[Colin_T]

A few leaves in the sump probably won't make any difference to your pH. First you need to find out what the GH and KH are and then you can go from there. If you have a high GH or KH, you can add tonnes of leaves and it won't make any difference to the pH.

What is the GH (general hardness) and KH (carbonate hardness) of your water supply. This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

If you have a GH above 200ppm, you will need to add some distilled or reverse osmosis (R/O) water to reduce the GH. When you do that, the pH will come down too.

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Peat Moss can be used to lower the pH and it is more effective than a few leaves. Get a bag of peat moss with no additives and put it in a mesh bag in the sump. The pH will come down (assuming the GH and KH aren't too high) and the water will turn brown from tannins.

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If you are keeping captive bred discus, they will be fine in soft water with a high pH. We had them in the shop tanks and the GH was about 50ppm and the pH was around 8.2. They were captive bred fish from Asia and not wild caught stock.

 

[Hamsnacks]

Based on the city's website for the last week:

Total Hardness (mg/L as CaCO3): 168
pH: 7.8
Total Chlorine Residual (mg/L): 2.04
Alkalinity (mg/L as CaCO3): 121

Correct me if I'm wrong but mg/L is equivalent to ppm.

I guess our pH has risen over the years, never really paid much attention.

So I'm assuming the Seiyru stones increase it by a bit. But that probably means I'll have a pretty consistent pH if I leave it the way it is.

I know the Discus he has our bred in captivity from Asia. He currently has them in our tap water but says his pH is 6.8 but he may be wrong because he hasn't mentioned any way he's lowering the pH, simply adding tap water and has a good filtration system.
I wanted to go the German Route but none of the supplier have much variaty at the moment, few colors to choose from.

 

[Byron]

Correct me if I'm wrong but mg/L is equivalent to ppm.

Correct. And 168 ppm equates to 9 dGH for those of us who prefer the smaller unit, lol.

I guess our pH has risen over the years, never really paid much attention.

This is a possibility, as the source water may change, or the water authority may add some substance to increase the pH if it is naturally acidic. Or it may be relatively the same and your stone the culprit.

So I'm assuming the Seiyru stones increase it by a bit. But that probably means I'll have a pretty consistent pH if I leave it the way it is.

I do not know the effect of Seiyru stone, but if you do ascertain this as the source, remove the stone or forget the discus. They will be better at a lower pH.

I know the Discus he has our bred in captivity from Asia. He currently has them in our tap water but says his pH is 6.8 but he may be wrong because he hasn't mentioned any way he's lowering the pH, simply adding tap water and has a good filtration system.

Fish bred/raised in Asia will have been raised in very soft water. The pH depends upon several things, primarily the GH and KH of the water, and dissolved CO2. Without knowing the GH and KH, it is impossible to predict what the pH might do. As Colin noted, adding leaves to lower it is not going to have any effect if the initial buffering (GH and KH) is significant.

Another thing, if his pH does lower and the source water is the same GH/KH as your own, then your higher pH is more likely due again to the stone if it is calcareous.

You could consider a re-scape if the stone is the issue. Discus look lovely, and will be happier, in a tank with lots of wood, especially some branches.

 

[seangee]

If the stone is raising the pH it will continue to do so and must be removed. Any attempts to reduce the pH will be countered by the stone and that will have a see saw effect which is bad for fish (any fish not just discus).