Suggestion to decrease my pH for my discus tank?

[sushiray]

been suggested that it's best I not mess with the pH & let it settle by itself. local water tap had increased their buffers last week (pH 8.8) & have since reduced (but fed mandated targets is 8.4-9.2)

latest readings

pH 7.2
AM=NI = 0
NA = 5

thks all

 

[rudy1964]

i forgot to ask why you want to lower you're ph and least you want to bread discus you need to do that most to the times discus are fine with declo tap water but if you are going to change the ph make sure do it gradually other wise discus will get strees and can get sick remenber stress discus very amune to disease

 

[Dominator]

I dunno wheres cormwall, but if you live in Queens, the pH of the tap water should be about 6.4 and it doesn't change. Brooklyn is too close to the sea, therefore, the pH is much more higher.

 

[sushiray]

I dunno wheres cormwall, but if you live in Queens, the pH of the tap water should be about 6.4 and it doesn't change. Brooklyn is too close to the sea, therefore, the pH is much more higher.

hey there! cornwall is about 70min away past westpoint. I called local municipal water dept & they say they say we use the same water/reservoirs as NYC & that they must buffer the water with sodium hydroxide. it is federally mandated that all drinking water systems have sanitizers like chlorine and/or chloramines (in florida they use sulphur based chems) + buffers to maintain hi pH. the mandated pH for NY's drinking water should be between 8.4-9.2. I was surprised to hear this.

the reason I thought I needed to lower my pH because the whole summer I was running 6.6, then last week it zoomed to 7.6 (NY had added extra buffers & pH went to 8.8 I found out) which concerned me since it was after a 75% w/c.

so there was an abrupt change in my pH - wonder if that caused them stress & maybe that's why I see "signs" of "tail rot" or like a "white smear" in their finnage?

so I am doing nothing to lower the pH.

but I am waiting for feedback on how to handle my latest issues - the white smearing in their fins.