How to lower PH?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
This is my tap water. So no decor yet. I am setting up the 100 now, and am a little concerned. I dont really know how high it is. I am going to get a few gallons of distilled water today for the testing of the SUNNYDRY CEMENTOUS WATERPROOFER concrete background. I did one test, but a raise of just one point is all i can measure as scale maxs out.

Of course I used maybe 1/2 gallon of water, and test block took up half of the 1 gallon bucket. So was not a lot of water for that much concrete.

I read up on softeners and r/o, and most ppl say only a slight ph drop if any, and that actually treated water with high ph, is more stabil, then if you remove the things making it high ph. If you remove those thinngs, any little thinng can change the PH. Same reason why you need to be carefull using chemicals to alter the ph. They have to deal with all the things first, then when they are gone, the ph takes a dive.


And what fueled my concern is that my tank water tests the same, everythig else was good, but PH, and i lost 2 frogs, 10 neons, 4 cherry barbs, 1 gourami, 1 pleco and 1 otto.

Still have 2 neons, 5 serpai, 1 gourami, 1 cherry, 1 otto cat, and i caught a baby crawfish that i put in yesterday

Some of these where/are new lfs, some where/are established fish I had.
 
First off, you're not getting a true reading straight from the tap. Fill up a bucket & let it sit overnight (add an airstone if possible) to release the trapped gases. Check the pH of the aged water & I guarantee it will be lower.
Second, DO NOT try to use pH Down or other chemicals for a pH shift of that size. Your fish will croak very quickly from the pH swing & the chems dont work very well in keeping the pH down for more than a day or so. Basically, your water already has too much other stuff in it (chems, carbonates, dissolved solids) which are giving you the high pH, so adding more stuff to the water is counter-productive. Try large chunks of driftwood and/or peat to further soften the aged water (I think Mopani wood works best for this). The wood will initially produce tannic acid (drops pH), then will start to suck up KH (drops pH) as it tries to petrify & turn to stone (takes a few million years, but will help your high pH now). Good luck!
 
Thanks jake,

I did not add an airstone, but did let it sit out. Everything i read about ph, says it will read higher once aged, useing airstone becuase of the release of co2?? So i didnt, because i figured it would just make it higher.

Went to home depot today, they did not have anything labeld peat, but miracle grow, i did two types of other moss. I was a bit confused on one. I read online that peat comes from sougram moss, and they harvest the dead stuff. This package says it is this type of moss, but claims their is a renewable resource, where as peat takes years and years to restablish.

sounds like a marketing thing to me.

The other is a moss from montana, doesnt tel type.

I went to LFS for some wood, but all they had was some really faded out pieces.

not sure if they would work?

I again read online that the darker hte wood the beter, however, it will tint your water. I dont really want tea water. But dont want wood that is useless.

The did have a stump and roots that I was very interested in. Just couldnt bring myself to pay 50$ for a piece of wood. Though ti really would go with the background i am working on. I might go back and measure it, see if i could split it and use it instead of making one of foam like i am doing.

I should have sump back up and running tommorow, so i will do some testing on it. then add the moss, and see what kinda effect I get
 
Check with some other people & post up a pic of the product so you dont put some crazy chemical treated moss in your tank. I dont know how the pH drop works with the airstone, but I promise you it does. Do some searching for info on driftwood types & how to prepare it for your tank. Good luck!
 
with the fish you have in stock id use strickly use r.o water only. save alot of head achs!!! but drift wood does work well
 
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