white vingar to adjust ph?

[M|L]

8.8 is extremely high.

even though I would normall advise against manipulating the pH, I think lowering that down a little is a good idea.

however, I've never heard of vinegar being used.

I would suggest using the RO unit, it's safe and it works very well.

 

[meiling]

I read and respect almost every answer!!! and I put 2 caps of white vingar and it drops my ph from 8.8 to 8.4 I also started buying r/o water, know I need a machine. I already filter with a double bio wheel and external canister. For media I have little carbon, ammo chips, peat, biorings and the spongy stuff. I use a bog log and almond tree leaves. All of this combined brings my ph to 8.8, the water was so full, it wouln't hold ph stabilizers, it pops right back up and then I have more chemicals. Hauling city water is a tireless endless job but it seems to work and my aro is more content with the lower ph, no signs of distress from such a small amount of vinegar. Hope it's the right thing to do. I run a master chem test weekly and the parameters have always been solid 0 ppm with high hardness and ph. (nitrates, nitrites, ammonia all ok)

 

[grmanrocks]

vineger (acetic acid, CH3COOH) is a weak acid (ph of about 3-4 depending on the molarity and molality).
weak acids dont ionize completly (dont really dissolve in water all the way) so you still have some vineger molecules floating around. my theory is this.......

your ph is 8.8(mine is 8.2 with no problems) if a floating molecule with a ph of 3-4 or a group of molecules with a signifigantly lower ph "bump" into your fish or its gills you will probably cause a burn, much like an ammonia burn due to the fact that the cells in your aro are at equllibrium with a ph of 8.8 the drastic change will of course have negetive side affects.

in other much shorter words dont do it!!!!!!!!!!!


no really just dont leave it alone and youll be fine............ im 99.9% sure you will

 

[redtailfool]

I read and respect almost every answer!!! and I put 2 caps of white vingar and it drops my ph from 8.8 to 8.4 I also started buying r/o water, know I need a machine. I already filter with a double bio wheel and external canister. For media I have little carbon, ammo chips, peat, biorings and the spongy stuff. I use a bog log and almond tree leaves. All of this combined brings my ph to 8.8, the water was so full, it wouln't hold ph stabilizers, it pops right back up and then I have more chemicals. Hauling city water is a tireless endless job but it seems to work and my aro is more content with the lower ph, no signs of distress from such a small amount of vinegar. Hope it's the right thing to do. I run a master chem test weekly and the parameters have always been solid 0 ppm with high hardness and ph. (nitrates, nitrites, ammonia all ok)

just make sure your vinegar is pure extract.. no preservatives or chemicals that can harm your fish.

 

[meiling]

vineger (acetic acid, CH3COOH) is a weak acid (ph of about 3-4 depending on the molarity and molality).
weak acids dont ionize completly (dont really dissolve in water all the way) so you still have some vineger molecules floating around. my theory is this.......

your ph is 8.8(mine is 8.2 with no problems) if a floating molecule with a ph of 3-4 or a group of molecules with a signifigantly lower ph "bump" into your fish or its gills you will probably cause a burn, much like an ammonia burn due to the fact that the cells in your aro are at equllibrium with a ph of 8.8 the drastic change will of course have negetive side affects.

in other much shorter words dont do it!!!!!!!!!!!


no really just dont leave it alone and youll be fine............ im 99.9% sure you will

OK, Thanks foe the insight, I won't to it anymore, it han't been that much appreciate the time your took to explain. Looking for a blk aro? not nec. african?

 

[grmanrocks]

little baby african and blacks are good im setting up a 195 gallon wide in nov and am just shoppin round at this point, more for ideas on were to get my hands on 1 in SoCal once the time has come, havnt really decided on which yet tho......