Using Ro Water To Adjust Ph

[superguppy]

My current tank parameters:
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 5
pH: >7.6, but probably around 7.8-8.0 since I'm only using tap water
Fish: Currently only 3 zebra danios, but planning to add bristlenose pleco, cory julii, tetras, maybe otocinclus.
Lightly planted: sword, anacharis, java fern, java moss; plan to add piece of drift wood

The tap water in my area is pretty hard (prob about GH 12) and the pH is off the scale of the API liquid test, but probably around 7.8-8.0. I've never tested the KH myself but I was told by my LFS that it was low. I've read a bunch of postings about fish being able to adapt to a wide pH range and preferring stability, but I still think it's generally not a good idea to have such a high pH given things like decreased fish life span, decreased color intensity, etc.

I had previously thought of mixing RO and tap water and then adding Seachem Neutral Regulator to maintain a pH of 7.0, but I'm concerned the phosphate buffer in the Neutral Regulator will cause an algae bloom in my tank.

I have tried mixing RO and tap, and haven't really gotten the pH I wanted. At 75% RO, 25% tap my pH is between 7.2-7.6, which I guess is better than nothing, but I'm concerned that diluting the tap this much would still require increasing minerals/KH.

My current plan is to switch over to use RO water to have a more reasonable pH, and I just wanted to run my plan by some more experienced aquarists to make sure I'm not doing something crazy.

The RO water I plan to use has a pH of about 6.5, not sure about KH and GH, but it should be pretty low since it's RO water. I plan to use Seachem Equilibrium to reconstitute some minerals, which I think will hopefully bump the pH up a bit towards neutral. I then plan to use some baking soda to increase the KH to lock in this pH. I'm not sure if there's anything else I have to do or think about.

My questions:
1) Any concerns/improvements on the above?
2) Is there a better product for reconstituting minerals than Seachem Equilibrium?
3) Is there a better product for increasing KH than baking soda?

Thanks in advance.

 

[roadmaster]

My current tank parameters:
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 5
pH: >7.6, but probably around 7.8-8.0 since I'm only using tap water
Fish: Currently only 3 zebra danios, but planning to add bristlenose pleco, cory julii, tetras, maybe otocinclus.
Lightly planted: sword, anacharis, java fern, java moss; plan to add piece of drift wood

The tap water in my area is pretty hard (prob about GH 12) and the pH is off the scale of the API liquid test, but probably around 7.8-8.0. I've never tested the KH myself but I was told by my LFS that it was low. I've read a bunch of postings about fish being able to adapt to a wide pH range and preferring stability, but I still think it's generally not a good idea to have such a high pH given things like decreased fish life span, decreased color intensity, etc.

I had previously thought of mixing RO and tap water and then adding Seachem Neutral Regulator to maintain a pH of 7.0, but I'm concerned the phosphate buffer in the Neutral Regulator will cause an algae bloom in my tank.

I have tried mixing RO and tap, and haven't really gotten the pH I wanted. At 75% RO, 25% tap my pH is between 7.2-7.6, which I guess is better than nothing, but I'm concerned that diluting the tap this much would still require increasing minerals/KH.

My current plan is to switch over to use RO water to have a more reasonable pH, and I just wanted to run my plan by some more experienced aquarists to make sure I'm not doing something crazy.

The RO water I plan to use has a pH of about 6.5, not sure about KH and GH, but it should be pretty low since it's RO water. I plan to use Seachem Equilibrium to reconstitute some minerals, which I think will hopefully bump the pH up a bit towards neutral. I then plan to use some baking soda to increase the KH to lock in this pH. I'm not sure if there's anything else I have to do or think about.

My questions:
1) Any concerns/improvements on the above?
2) Is there a better product for reconstituting minerals than Seachem Equilibrium?
3) Is there a better product for increasing KH than baking soda?

Thanks in advance.

With exception of some of the more sensitive tetras (cardinals,rummy nose.) I would not were it me, (and it ain't) have reason to mess with the ph.Opinions vary.
I would drip acclimate all fishes and stay away from the afore mentioned Cardinals and rummy nose.