Mopani Wood Lowering Ph?

[Welshweeks]

Hi All
 
I'm currently fishless cycling a 40L tank purely for shrimp. I have a piece of mopani wood in there which seems to be lowering the PH, it's usually 7.6ppm but has gone as low as 6.4 during the cycling process (I've done a large water change twice so far, on day 38 of cycle). Will this be an issue when tank cycled or do you think the regular water change (25% weekly) will keep PH stable?

 

[TallTree01]

The wood should eventually run out of tannIns and stop lowering ph.

 

[Welshweeks]

I did soak it for some time and is doesn't appear to be leaking any more tannins? I was thinking of going to buy another piece of bogwood or similar today. 

 

[TallTree01]

Shrimp need higher ph to keep their exoskeletons working so I'd think that another wood piece would be bad. In fact of the ph keeps lowering you might have to add rocks or something to raise ph.

 

[Welshweeks]

I was thinking of another piece of non Mopani bogwood? I have another piece in my main 180ltr tank which isn't Mopani and the ph is a stable 7.6 what do you think? Or I could buy a bit of false looking wood to tie the java fern to and also gives the shrimp a bit of cover?

 

[TallTree01]

You can grow the java fern on anything solid. Rock, ornaments, large fish: you name it. If you add wood and the ph Drops below 7 then you'll need to balance it out with rocks or something to get the ph between 7 and 7.4 as this is the best PH level for them.

P.S joking when I said you can grow fern on large fish. Please do NOT try that,

 

[Welshweeks]

P.S joking when I said you can grow fern on large fish. Please do NOT try that,

 
I guessed that!