Water Too Acidic

[blaxicanlatino]

The water parameters are about 6.5 pH. I want it to be 7 to 7.5. Any suggestions on how to raise the pH? I tried a small clay flower pot but it hasnt done anythin

 

[waterdrop]

It depends if you have fish or are fishless cycling. If you are fishless cycling and want to make fairly rapid pH changes you can do it with kitchen baking soda (not baking powder.) If you have fish in the tank you need to move more slowly and crushed coral is recommended. Deciding to change your pH is an important decision, sometimes unneeded and difficult to maintain. It is always a good idea to discuss all the circumstances here with the members and get some support that it is the right decision. If it is the right decision, then searching the forums for KH, pH, baking soda and crushed coral should turn up many threads that will bring you up to speed on the details. Hope this helps you get started.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Miss Wiggle]

It depends if you have fish or are fishless cycling. If you are fishless cycling and want to make fairly rapid pH changes you can do it with kitchen baking soda (not baking powder.) If you have fish in the tank you need to move more slowly and crushed coral is recommended. Deciding to change your pH is an important decision, sometimes unneeded and difficult to maintain. It is always a good idea to discuss all the circumstances here with the members and get some support that it is the right decision. If it is the right decision, then searching the forums for KH, pH, baking soda and crushed coral should turn up many threads that will bring you up to speed on the details. Hope this helps you get started.

~~waterdrop~~

WD is correct, I would just support his idea to discuss the situation with us before making any changes, adjusting pH is tricky and it can often become unstable, the majority of fish would be happier with a stable pH a degree or two higher/lower than recommended than a swinging pH occasionally hitting on the right mark!

if you can give us some more background on the tank set up and why you want to adjust the pH we can firstly help you make the right decision weather you should adjust it, and secondly help you to work out what the best method for the adjustment is,

 

[blaxicanlatino]

it was fish cycled. And the tank contains 1 betta and one platy.

The main reason i want to change the ph is because i want to add snails

The tank also has an amazon sword and multiple moneyworts

 

[waterdrop]

Oh my, now you've made me feel like a mean old man. I've never even had a passing thought about changing my water parameters for a snail. The main thought I usually have about snails is whether the shell would cut my thumb when I'm crushing it! (But I know there nice big snails out there that people specially obtain, so hope I haven't offended.)

How big is the tank and what brand/model/type filter does it have?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Miss Wiggle]

your quite right if you are trying to keep apple snails you will need a higher pH, they need calcium to keep their shells strong and can die without a suitable amount of it in the water.

it's more the KH that you need to adjust most likley, there's a link in my sig 'pH and KH' which will help you start to get your head around it!

 

[blaxicanlatino]

no problem, in no way was I offended. I was merely speaking of the fance mystery snail ( apple snails).