Cheap way to lower pH?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I don't use any buffers, etc. I have drip systems to change my water in most of my tanks (my tank pH is the same as my tap pH). My fish have to adapt or find a new tank to live in. So far, none have requested a new tank.


The natural tendency of an aquarium is for the pH to drop anyway. As the bacteria oxidize the nitrogen products in the tank, the pH gets lowered naturally. If your tap water is well buffered (bicarbonate and carbonate ions) then you won't notice much of an effect. If the buffers are low or if water changes are neglected, then the effect will be more pronounced.
 
To be honest this is all starting to seem like way more work then its worth haha

Would it be a good idea to do smaller frequent water changes then one larger one as the smaller ones might effect the pH less if the natural buffers do do there job?

We have a water softener in the basement so I would imagine our water is normally quite hard. Meaning me buffer my water would also become more challenging because from what I've read. Our water softeners in basement use an ion exchange that replace the Ca and Mg with Na which while it makes the water softer for us doesn't effect fish at all and the water is still hard to them.

Spencer
 
Smaller water changes are always better, but I always have a hard time not draining at least half out. :D Delicate fish need smaller water changes though.
 
CHOMPERS;4392989; said:
Smaller water changes are always better, but I always have a hard time not draining at least half out. :D Delicate fish need smaller water changes though.
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Haha yeah same goes for me, it will be a real challenge to only take down a inch or two, it just feels like your not cleaning it that well you know? :nilly::D

So you do you think even with some blackwater fish species then that they'll be fine with my tap water so long as I'm not doing large water changes and its not like 8+ pH I think its around 7.6 or so.. I'll have to test tomorrow. By some I mainly mean, Apistogramma baenschi "Inka", and Bleher's Rummynose tetras. I'm quite positive that everything else I want fish wise would be fine with my tap water.

Spencer
 
We used muriatic acid at my old work for bringing in fish from overseas that would come in with a ph of like 4. We would adjust the tank to match whatever the bag ph was. Then the fish would be slowly brought up to tap water ph over a few weeks.
Sonny, all apistos I've seen locally are captive bred and do ok in higher ph. They are still sensitive to water quality.
 
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