Driftwood

[hemiboo]

I've been hearing that driftwood will lower the pH in a tank. Is this true or not?
Also, how can I keep my pH around 7.5 without changing substrate? What else would cause a major drop in pH?

 

[piranha45]

you can keep your pH constant through frequent, generous water changes.


do you have very soft water? does the pH tend to change by .5 or more within a week?

 

[Hakon]

Yah with low KH it's easier to have a pH drop.

 

[gomezladdams]

I have a huge piece of bogwood in my 75g and it hasnt changed the ph any

 

[HarleyK]

I've been hearing that driftwood will lower the pH in a tank. Is this true or not?
Also, how can I keep my pH around 7.5 without changing substrate? What else would cause a major drop in pH?

Howdy,

Fresh driftwood will have effects similar to peat. But just like with peat, this effect gets saturated after a while. How long that is depends on many factors, such as your water chemistry, the type of wood, and the size of the wood vs tank.

There are pH plus water conditioners on the market, which you could use to adjust your pH. I've never had to do it, but I heard it works all right. Involves frequent measurements and possibly adjustments.

A drop in pH is often caused by too much rotting in your tank, i.e. insufficient tank mainenance or biofiltration. Regular water changes should prevent that. Also, a drop in pH often occurs at very low kH (<3`) . Make sure that you have a decent amount of hardness in your water. Except if you want to breed neon tetras

HarleyK

 

[prawnman88]

does drift wood tend to make the water get a little cloudy ?

 

[vanimate]

does drift wood tend to make the water get a little cloudy ?

I dont know about cloudy, but natural tannins in the wood leach out and color your water a brown tea color. The longer its immersed, the less leaching youll get.