Ph Dropping

[KISSfn]

In reference to topic: http/www.fishforum...more-wednesday/

Got the tester kit and plants I could find that Kitty Kat recommended. Results were 71.6 KH, 196.9 GH. Yesterday added 11 live plants and trashed the plastic. Added 1 Tiger and 3 Green Barbs. Soaked a piece of Mopani wood overnight and added it today. Temp 76F, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, pH 6.6? pH was 7.6 Wednesday after water change. Worried about pH. Advice much appreciated.

 

[soybean]

Wood lowers ph.

 

[KISSfn]

Thanks for your reply! So, if tapwater pH is 7.6, and tankwater pH is 6.6, is a 20% waterchange weekly okay?

 

[soybean]

Yes, just do your weekly changes as normal. The wood leeches tannins which lower the ph and may give your water a weak tea colour. It's perfectly normal and harmless, and water changes will remove them. Eventually it will stop giving these out and you may find your ph stabilises then. Don't worry about it too much.

 

[KISSfn]

Thanks! I'm a little on edge after Wednesday's losses.

 

[soybean]

Keep the water changes little and often rather than huge ones in one go and that will make it easier for them to adapt to. It's easy to get worked up when it all goes wrong but you can only do what you can and hope for the best!

 

[KISSfn]

Thanks! Truer words have never been spoken!