once I remove the co2 and my water is at a steady 8.2-8.4 How can I lower down to 6.8-7.4. This is more or less what I am asking I do not really want the water in my tank to ever get past 7.6 but this isn't going to happen for awhile!
PH problem NEED h2O NERDS! Please help
- Thread starter fishman646
- Start date
As a rule of thumb I never mess with whatever my tap water wants to settle at.
I know 8.2 isn't ideal for a lot of fish but having it constant will benefit you more than trying to lower it.
Changing the ph in your tank is a big bucket of worms to open
I know 8.2 isn't ideal for a lot of fish but having it constant will benefit you more than trying to lower it.
Changing the ph in your tank is a big bucket of worms to open
I understand what you're saying, and remember I mentioned I am not a SW nerd. But, when trying help figure out what was going on, I ended up reading a few topics on CO2 and ph in reef tanks. I was trying to relate that to your ph spikes.
Here is one of the texts:
While Skimmers raise oxygen levels, they also raise carbon dioxide levels. CO2 accumulates in marine and reef aquariums at higher than ambient levels, causing a drop in pH. The CO2 SCRUBBER removes carbon dioxide from the air drawn by the skimmer, lowering CO2 levels in the aquarium water. As a result, the pH rises and stabilizes naturally at a new higher level.
I realize we aren't talking SW here, but you're saying the opposite is actually true in your SW tanks? I honestly don't know.
Here is one of the texts:
While Skimmers raise oxygen levels, they also raise carbon dioxide levels. CO2 accumulates in marine and reef aquariums at higher than ambient levels, causing a drop in pH. The CO2 SCRUBBER removes carbon dioxide from the air drawn by the skimmer, lowering CO2 levels in the aquarium water. As a result, the pH rises and stabilizes naturally at a new higher level.
I realize we aren't talking SW here, but you're saying the opposite is actually true in your SW tanks? I honestly don't know.
Thanks for trying to help man! lets keep this thread alive as im sure it will benefit myself and many others. There has to be a good solution!
fishman646;4830605; said:
I hope you find a solution! This is all very confusing, and coming from a water supply that is tainted by unnusually high ammonia, I can empathize with you on this one. Wish I could be of more help, good luck!
Well water is generally high ph. Its exposed to alot of minerals in the ground. My parents use well water and they had to add a water softener to soften the water. I think we established what making the water ph lower coming out, High co2 in the water. I suppose you could add a water softener to you house. I remember my dad buying these big bags of salt. They don't use that system any more. Not sure what they use now to soften there water some other system.
You could just put some peat in your filter to lower the ph. Or add some blackwater extract..
You could just put some peat in your filter to lower the ph. Or add some blackwater extract..
Cold water has the potential to hold more gasses. It's just the nature of the liquid.
Being on a well just compounds this already present problem.
Being on a well just compounds this already present problem.
It's my understanding the only way to do this is to mix your tap water that's been aerated with RO water that has been completely stripped of *all* dissolved solids, and find the perfect mixture.fishman646;4830546; said:
If it were me (I am actually in this situation, my water is 8.0-8.2 from tap, and I keep a lot of amazon species that prefer lower pH, lower TDS) I would just let the water age, and use the high pH water consistently. Unless you are talking about wild caught specimens, or otherwise fragile fish in captivity, then...RO is the way to go.
Sorry I didn't reply earlier, I normally don't consider myself an H2O nerd...but I'm glad I did read it, since I actually was just asking about the whole CO2 thing earlier today (a friend of mine is a HUGE water nerd, so I picked her brain earlier!)
