Lowering Ph

[Cooper2085]

My tap water PH is between 8 and 8.5

Iv been using the Nutrafin PH lowerer, but i need my PH at around 7, is there any way of doing this natrually without it costing an arm and a leg?

 

[shroob]

Bogwood and peat are probably the cheapest and most natural way of lowering pH.
Other ways could be to use CO2 or RO units (though RO units can be expensive but they provide the surest way of getting the water you want).

 

[Cooper2085]

Is there any scientific way of knowing how much peat to use? Or is it trial and error?

 

[LolaLouie]

I am currently using peat to lower my pH. You are supposed to use 1 litre of peat to 100 litres of water. The thing is with peat that there's no end to how low your pH goes. I'm just playing around with it at the moment. For now I have 1/2 litre of peat to 200 litres of water and it seems to maintain the pH at aroun 7.4 (from 7.8). I am also soaking 1/2 a litre of peat in a 5 gallon bucket of water each night, in the morning the pH of the bucket has dropped from 7.8 to between 6.6 and 7.0. I am then doing daily water changes with this lower pH water but have still not managed to get the tank to below 7.4.

I have just bought another filter for my tank so I can fit the full 2 litres of peat and i will see what that does... I'll let you know.


My point is if you're going to use peat start with slow adjustments don't just bung a bunch in and hope for the best. Also test your pH AT LEAST once daily.

Peat also can really clog your filter, I have bought a second filter but i'm not sure of a way round that unless you have the space to store enough water for each water change and leave peat in the water.

Good Luck!

 

[Cooper2085]

My plan is to get either a big black bin or something like that and lower the PH before i add it to the tank. Im fussy and do at least 2 water changes a week anyway.

My water is quite oxygenated, i hear this brings up PH. Is that true?

 

[LolaLouie]

Yes airpumps etc. bring the pH up. If you have the room you should find using peat fairly easy, it's only hard for me as I live in a 3rd floor apartment so can't store the water.

Just play around with it a bit but just remember to test pH constantly and bring the pH down slowly. Also most fish adjust fairly well to a higher pH so really it's not necessary to do it. I'm just doing mine as I am trying to replicate an amazon creek (my fish's natural environment).

 

[Cooper2085]

Iv been meaning to bring it down to 7 for a while now, but im picking up some fish tommorrow that live and breed in a PH 7 tank so im looking at matching that.

 

[LolaLouie]

It will take a few weeks for you to get your pH anywhere near 7 so the fish you are picking up will have to go into your pH 8 water anyway. It's the initial acclimatising that is the most dodgy. What fish are you getting? Do you know how to drip acclimatise them?

 

[Cooper2085]

Im picking up some panda corys from Carmenandalex. Iv been lowering it for a while its at 7.5 ph now so its not too bad, i can just see it being expensive. If i added 1/2 bucket of PH6 and 1/2 bucket of PH8 that should in theory make a bucket of PH7 yes?

I ask because my mate who lives 2 minutes from me has PH6 out of his tap!

 

[LolaLouie]

pH 7.5 will be fine for panda corys i wouldn't worry but if you still want to lower it then just continue to do it slowly. It sounds like whatever you are doing is working so I'd continue that!

 

[Cooper2085]

Yeah its working but it could get expensive! Those nutrafin drops dont come cheap lol