What does everybody recommend for lowering PH? Before setting up my new tank, I tested the tap water at my new house. The PH out of the tap tested with my API freshwater liquid kit at 8.4, ouch! I need to lower it to about 7.0 for the fish (rays) I want to keep. I'll have a large piece of driftwood in the tank which I suspect will lower the ph a little bit, but not by much. I'm looking for a recommendation of a product that others have had success with. I'm also worried about ph fluctuations during water changes. The tank is too large that I don't have anywhere to store and treat water prior to a water change, so water from the tap will need to be added directly to the tank to complete water changes.
Lowering ph
- Thread starter Heymikki
- Start date
I personally suggest a R/O system. It will be difficult to maintain the PH in a aquarium that size with chemical additives.
I wouldn't chemically alter your Ph. Would cause it to be too unstable. My Ph is 8.2 to 8.4 and I don't have any problems keep anything. I have wild Altums living in it just fine.
do you have one in particular that you recommend? I’ve never ran an R/O system before this is a totally new concept to me. I’m still shocked that the water out of the tap had such a high PH. I’ve never seen that in any of my other houses I’ve lived in.
Let the water sit for 24 hours and then test the pH again. There are often dissolved gases that can alter the pH. Alkaline water keeps the pipes from dissolving 
I wouldn’t try to constantly lower Ph it will cause huge swings and you will constantly chasing it.
If you decide to go with RO probably the best way to start is to determine how much water you need to produce.
Units range in price by Gallons produced in 24 hours and by additional stages you may want.
Like carbon or DI resin.
It sounds complicated but it’s really not.
Last edited:
Let the water sit for 24 hours and then test the pH again. There are often dissolved gases that can alter the pH. Alkaline water keeps the pipes from dissolving
so I tested a sample out of the dogs water bowl that had been sitting overnight lol. This came back out a perfect 7.0. So now I have the problem of tap water being added to the tank following water changes is going to cause a big ph swing everytime a water change is done?
Since it is gases leaving the water causing the change, and not a change in the mineral levels, it should not be as bad.
duanes
check me on that please. Rapid changes in minerals/salts can cause osmotic shock, as well as changing pH, which usually leads to blame on pH for any osmotic shock issues.
duanes
check me on that please. Rapid changes in minerals/salts can cause osmotic shock, as well as changing pH, which usually leads to blame on pH for any osmotic shock issues.
Since overnight it drops naturally to 7, I wouldn't bother with RO.
It appears (as others have said) all it takes to reduce pH is the pressure release caused by off gassing.
And if you didn't want to the abide the rapid pH swings adding high pH water straight to the tank, you could simply use a storage barrel to put tap water in over night, add an airstone to aid in off gassing, and put the stored water change water in the tank the next day after pH had dropped.
It appears (as others have said) all it takes to reduce pH is the pressure release caused by off gassing.
And if you didn't want to the abide the rapid pH swings adding high pH water straight to the tank, you could simply use a storage barrel to put tap water in over night, add an airstone to aid in off gassing, and put the stored water change water in the tank the next day after pH had dropped.