pH and Heavy Metals

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leslie123

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Will the chlorine remover change the pH of my water?

I'm preparing to set up my new tank at my new home. It's well water, no chlorine (not city water, but my own well).

I've used a test kit; my water is very soft (0-1 dGh for carbonate and general hardness both).

When I checked the pH with the first kit, the pH came out as the lowest available on the kit (pH=6) or below. I purchased a second kit which went down to a pH of 5; my check showed the pH was 5 (or below). I was a bit concerned; how low was my pH? I want to breed discus fish, which prefer soft/acidic water, but this is a bit much.

I was checking the water straight of the faucet (there's no chlorine, no need to treat). For kicks, I tried treating a gallon of water with my water conditioner (Jungle tap water conditioner, 1 drop/gallon to remove chlorine, chloramines and neutralize heavy metals). The treated water tested at pH=5.5 -- which is better than 5.0, but ... hmmm ... I'm confused. (Carbonate & general hardness remained the same.)

I tested carefully and re-tested; this is not the pH of my finger at the top of the test tube :)

Did the water conditioner change the Ph? With soft water, I understand pH is subject to rapid fluctuations. Or perhaps it neutralized heavy metals which were making the water more acidic? Is there a test for heavy metals? (Do I really care about heavy metals?)

Leslie
 
Yep...that PH is on the acidic side.

To the best of my knowledge, I believe the water conditioners shouldnt alter your PH.

What brand test kits are you using to test your water?
 
With a hardness that low, you no buffering capacity in the water, it will swing wildly in pH. CO2 absorbed from the air will push the pH down, and any leaves or other organic detritous in the well will generate humic acid amongst others. You could more or less assume your water was RO water and treat it with a product like Kent RO right to stabilise it. It's very cheap, about 6 USD for 250g, and for discus, you'd only need to add half teaspoon per 10 gallons, so it won't break the bank.

I wish I had your well!
 

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