I've heard that you can lower your pH with driftwood and I was curious how that works. Does anyone know specifically how this works? Is it something the wood leaches into the water? If so, then like the tennins will is disipate after time?
lowering pH with driftwood
- Thread starter Lissaspence
- Start date
IMO, Mopani wood is the best for this particular task, although not everyone likes the look... The tannins will mix with the water & produce tannic acid, which will lower the overall pH. This effect is reduced as the leaching slows down. The wood itself (even after leaching is done) will continue to absorb some of the KH, so it becomes much easier to lower the overall pH by just softening the water (lowering GH).
Aging tap water in buckets with an airstone for a few days before a WC will also help to pull the pH down a bit. The science of that one is beyond me, but it does work.
Aging tap water in buckets with an airstone for a few days before a WC will also help to pull the pH down a bit. The science of that one is beyond me, but it does work.
I suspect the aerated bucket approach works by allowing more atmospheric CO2 to dissolve in the water (forming carbonic acid).
In any case, these techniques allow for mild changes in pH, but you're not going to see a drastic drop. Also, the more alkaline your water is, the more it will resist changes in pH. You can see this in blackwater rivers as they reach the sea- the color drops out at a very low salinity, due to the acids being neutralized by the alkaline seawater. So, if you want a big drop in pH, you're probably going to be better off using reconstituted RO/DI water.
In any case, these techniques allow for mild changes in pH, but you're not going to see a drastic drop. Also, the more alkaline your water is, the more it will resist changes in pH. You can see this in blackwater rivers as they reach the sea- the color drops out at a very low salinity, due to the acids being neutralized by the alkaline seawater. So, if you want a big drop in pH, you're probably going to be better off using reconstituted RO/DI water.
True... I guess the real question is how much does the OP need to drop? Is the current high pH due to a new tank, or the tap water, or both?
didnt work at all for me. I put in a 12x14x14 piece of malaysian driftwood in my 55 and PH hasnt dropped at all. still sitting at 7.6 6 weeks later. I want to try peat moss, but I can only find it at a hardware store and its in 30 lb bails....also it doenst say chemical free. I dont need nearly that much....I hope.
I don't need my water adjusted right now. I was just curious about the process. I know mine is a little high (can't tell you exactly I don't test the pH regularly) but all my fish are doing fine. I more or less just wanted to know for future reference in case I ever decide to try discus or something more sensitive. Thanks for the feed back everyone.