Severum water parameters

[sunshinehippy]

My water is pH: 7.6 (at least), dkH: 4, dgH: 6, temp 28C, amm: 0, nitrate: not detectable.

I have an EBJD and a H. appendiculatus severum at the moment, hoping to add some sajica cichlids and maybe/or some g. tapajos.

I read that having a pH of 7.8 or above is pushing it for a severum. Do you think I should try and get the pH down just slightly to around 7 in order to be in the range for all of the fish?

I use RO water and buffer it with about 15% tap water (which is very hard). The RO water and the tap water read the same pH which is past the scale that my test kit reads (it goes up to 7.6 which is blue and the reading is blue). How do I get the pH down?

Thanks.

 

[fallin49er]

Yes, anything higher than 7.5 isn't ideal...your severums would be better off in the 6 ish' ph range. Add a couple pieces of bogwood (make sure to boil "most" of the tannins out first). This will help lower your ph and also soften your water up a bit...

 

[sunshinehippy]

I have a huge piece of bogwood in my tank. Test strips read 7, liquid test kit reads 7.6. My tap water has a naturally high ph and the RO unit doesnt seem to soften it that much and it is a fairly new unit so i am stuck really. Should I put some peat in the filter?

 

[fallin49er]

I have a huge piece of bogwood in my tank. Test strips read 7, liquid test kit reads 7.6. My tap water has a naturally high ph and the RO unit doesnt seem to soften it that much and it is a fairly new unit so i am stuck really. Should I put some peat in the filter?

worth a try...my water is 7.2 out of the tap but it lowers to 6.5 in my SA tank...do you have a power head running in your tank or something that is creating alot of water movement? If so turn those off. What kind of substrate do you have?

 

[HiImSean]

try adding some peat in the filter in a stocking or something to pring the pH down. i keep my south americans at a pH of 6.4

 

[sunshinehippy]

I have a Fluval 405 external filter - i cannot switch off the flow (not sure what you mean by powerhead, sorry!). I have an air pump with two large bubble stones but I dont want to switch those off because it gives out a lot of oxygen. I have very fine natural gravel, which shouldnt affect the ph, not lime or coral sand.

 

[honda237]

Really I keep mine at ph 8.3 and they seem fine. I have a notatus, rotkeil and a super red. This is was our tap water ran through a pur faucet filter.

 

[peathenster]

Lowering pH seems a lot harder than raising it. Like mentioned above RO water, driftwood and peat may be your best bet. I keep my severums at pH6-6.5

 

[sunshinehippy]

Thanks Honda for that. It seems like a lot of hassle for less than a point in pH. I have also read that as long as the ph stays consistent it shouldnt really cause a problem and that a fluctuating ph is more dangerous than slightly too high or low. The water is after all pretty soft after going through the RO unit even though the ph is very slightly alkaline. He was taken out of soft water in the LFS and he seems a hell of a lot happier in my tank than he was yesterday in the LFS. Its literally only 24 hours since I got him home and he is a very happy fish.

 

[peathenster]

Thanks Honda for that. It seems like a lot of hassle for less than a point in pH. I have also read that as long as the ph stays consistent it shouldnt really cause a problem and that a fluctuating ph is more dangerous than slightly too high or low. The water is after all pretty soft after going through the RO unit even though the ph is very slightly alkaline. He was taken out of soft water in the LFS and he seems a hell of a lot happier in my tank than he was yesterday in the LFS. Its literally only 24 hours since I got him home and he is a very happy fish.

one point in pH is a 10 fold difference

7.8 is not too bad, and I do agree that stability is sometimes more important. Breeding might be a problem but your sev should be fine.