Lowering Ph

[Kuhni]

Hi my ph is stable at 7.5 but I'm wondering if it's possible to lower my ph naturally with peat to replicate the water conditions of the amazon. I have got tetras, rams and corys so I think they'd appreciate a slight PH Lowering.
How much can I lower it without causing harm to my fish?
How much peat does it take to drop the ph level by 0.1 in 80L?
I'm looking to lower it to about a 7 if possible.

 

[Liam]

Your ph is not bad for Amazonian fish, if you want to use peat you would need to try it out in a bucket, it depends on your water and the strength or acidity of the peat. It’s a bit hit and miss using peat you would need to experiment, the fish would prefer a stable ph and hardness to fluctuations.
Corys and tetras, have done fine in my ph of 8.2, very hard water. German rams and some of the apistos have hung on but not done too well. I guess you know the peat will colour the water, give it a tea colour, which I like but many don’t. I am not sure but I think if you use carbon to clear the water, you also remove much of the ph reducing substances. Yes the ph drop would be better for the fish if you can achieve it with stability. I think if your water is not too hard the fish should live normal length lives in your water. Though breeding and egg hatching might be a problem. Its quite challenging using peat, lots of testing and any change in water needs to be done gradually for the fish.