Best way to keep Ph down around 6.5?

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Rass

Rass

Aimara
MFK Member
Oct 3, 2005
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I just set up a (freshwater-south american) 125 with a 40 breeder for a sump, with a home made wet-dry filter, and my Ph keeps going back up to 7.5-7.6. I tried using the API Ph down product but it only worked temporarily. I have four large pieces of driftwood and a rock pile in the center. At first I thought the rocks may have had something to do with it, but my tap water is about 7.5 so I think it is the large water changes I have been doing that are keeping it up there. Is there a good media of some sort that I can drop in the sump that would help keep my Ph buffered to about 6.5. I want to keep a Silver Aro, Peacock Bass, or a Red-Tail catfish, things like that. How would they fair with the Ph I have now? I used to have a Black Aro and I never really worried about the Ph and it was a nice healthy fish, but I'm wondering if these fish really benefit by lowering the Ph or am I being overly technical? I got some API Proper Ph 6.5 powder to try but I noticed it says not for use with live plants, and I just added five plants to my tank so I'm looking for a safer more permanent method of buffereing my tank! Or do you guys think I should just not worry about it as long as it is between 7.0 and 7.5? Let me know what you think, any advice is appreciated!
 
Anybody tried using peat in their sump to lower the ph of their water?
 
I have driftwood but my ph hovers around 6.0
You could do that and try to counteract it with crushed coral and fine the right balance to get it stuck there
 
Fish can usually adjust to PH as long as it remains consistant. PH adjusters (chemicals) are usually not the way to go. Keep it within range of your tap and see how that goes before trying to buffer it. Peat/drift wood will lower it but with large water changes (and your tap being 7.5) you'll be constantly having PH swings which isn't good. Remember fish don't like radical changes.
 
What's your KH that might be the resistance to lowering your PH....
constant PH is what you aim for unless your breeding fish... FYI my experience API PH up and down, don't waste your money...

If your determined to get to 6.5 use the combination of Seachem acid and alkaline buffers..make sure you have a storage tank to mix the buffers.....
never mix in the tank,lower your display tank ph...down gradually...


For my breeding tanks, my storage water (50 G) has a pool chlorine dispenser filled with peat the circulates within this container... I like the look of dark water and so do my discus, loaches, BGK's...I also cut the tap water with RO water to lower GH..:popcorn:
 
:ROFL:what are you stressing about? 6.5 - 7.5 +/- is fine!!! 7.6 is not that big a deal... .1 lol if you at 7.6 constant, that is perfect! don't stress it. if it goes up to 8.0 maybe you should take care of that....

if you have no drift wood a big piece will make your pH plummet... then after you let it plummet just add a bag or 2 of crushed coral and wallah!! good luck bro.. if you really want to they have a powder that stabilizes pH to 7 weather high or low... it's cheap and it works.. my friend has pH problems and uses it at water changes to keep it constant to next water change... fish are happy, healthy, and beautiful. good luck!!
 
Good advice from everyone so far.

How long has your system been running for ?
Normally over time the nitrification cycle of bb in your bio media reduces ph.
 
Ok the tank is not fully cycled yet, and I do have four large pieces of driftwood in already. That's why I was thinking the ph should be lower. You guys brought up a very good point that I hadn't thought of yet, I guess even if I tried the peat in the sump and it worked, I would have a big swing everytime I did a water change and that's even worse for the fish. I guess I'll just leave it where it is. The regular ph test looks like 7.6 but when I do the high range test it looks like 7.4 so I'm assuming it is probably right in beween the two tests at 7.5 and it seems to want to stay there so I'm gonna stop worrying about it. I was just curious about what your opinions were on the benefits of keeping the ph lower. I haven't had a freshwater tank in almost 3 years but I never worried about it before, I never even tested once my tanks were established lol. And I always had healthy fish. The tank is looking really good I'll have to try and post some pics later. Thanks for the opinions guys!
 
bro bump the peat moss... if you ever have to just get Neutral Regulator by Seachem... its around 11 bucks and works great... put it right in your tank by directions, your fish will think its snowing...lol

i would just leave it alone and honestly if you got the driftwood you say you do.. YOUR IN FOR A BIG SURPRISE... i'll put money on it that your pH is gonna drop and you will have to add crushed coral...

also pH regulators(all that i have seen) use all natural things to regulate, like calcium and magnesium.. it's not man made chemicals... and like i said they work great... if it's a water problem but like i said above if the driftwood causes the pH to drop which i bet you will see... you need to get crushed coral..
 
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