ph out of tap is between 6.4 and 6.8 so is ph in my tank. i have a 75 gallon,sand substrate, 2 fluval 404's and in it are 2 retic stingray pups. ammonia, nitrIte,nitrAte- 0ppm,0ppm,5ppm. Ive been soaking 2 pieces of driftwood about 17" long each. i know driftwood lowers your ph. my question is How can i safely raise my ph to where the driftwood wont lower it to dangerous levels??
Low ph and driftwood
- Thread starter ahfu25
- Start date
What kind of fish are you keeping? The easiest way would be shells, calcium based or aragonite based substrate.
Howdy,
I am not sure if the drift wood will lower the pH significantly at all in between water changes. The effect will fade after a few days/weeks anyways. If I were you I'd just go ahead and throw it in, monitoring the pH on a daily basis. Remember that the humic substances from driftwood will not cause a pH crash but rather have a buffering effect similar to weak peat. Only wood that is not suitable for aquarium use (fresh, rotting etc) causes big problems.
To be on the safe side, why don't you throw the wood in a 50 gal rubbermaid and see if it affects water chemistry?
HarleyK
I am not sure if the drift wood will lower the pH significantly at all in between water changes. The effect will fade after a few days/weeks anyways. If I were you I'd just go ahead and throw it in, monitoring the pH on a daily basis. Remember that the humic substances from driftwood will not cause a pH crash but rather have a buffering effect similar to weak peat. Only wood that is not suitable for aquarium use (fresh, rotting etc) causes big problems.
To be on the safe side, why don't you throw the wood in a 50 gal rubbermaid and see if it affects water chemistry?
HarleyK
Do a water change. Save the water from the tank and put it into a Rubbermaid like HarleyK said. Test the pH every day for a couple days to a week. If it doesn't change, I would have to say you are good to go.