Water help

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M

Mac.

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 19, 2010
341
1
0
North Carolina
Hey guys quick question on water

I tested it today and the pH was at least 6.0 possibly lower since that is the lowest it goes
The nitrite and ammonia were both at 0 ppm tank has been cycled for quite a while and weekly 20%-30% water changes are done.

Question: Any idea on why the water is so acidic? It comes out of the tap at 7.5 pH and I DO have 3 or 4 pieces or driftwood (not too sure what kind) with a couple of them being very large pieces. I have heard that they can cause the water to be acidic but I don't know how correct that is. Also, I got my gravel from Lowes a couple of years ago so I'm not exactly sure what kind it is. Its larger pebbles, mostly white and it could be peat (I think that makes the water acidic).

Could I just used crushed coral to buffer the water and counteract the acidic or should I switch to a different rock or even sand? They prefer a pH of what?

Thanks for the help
 
Remove the driftwood it's lowering your pH. After you remove the driftwood do a big 50% water change and then test it the next day and post your results. If the pH is still low after that I would try crushed coral.
 
My tap comes out at 7.3 and degases overnight to 6.6 in a bucket with an airstone. I don't think driftwood could lower your pH that much. Do the bucket test and see how far it drops.
 
Well, here's something I learned a while back. If any driftwood that deals with being a Malaysian driftwood, it will definitively drop your pH.
 
Cool, did the water change and took out the wood
pH-6.6
Nitrite-0.0 ppm
Ammonia-0.0 ppm

So I'm guessing my pH may have been lower the 6.0. Any other suggestions about what t I should do?
 
Mac.;4484752; said:
Cool, did the water change and took out the wood
pH-6.6
Nitrite-0.0 ppm
Ammonia-0.0 ppm

So I'm guessing my pH may have been lower the 6.0. Any other suggestions about what t I should do?
Click to expand...

If taking out the drift wood doesn't work, time to add some crush coral sands, dead corals, or oyster shells(make sure you wash the ___ out of it...seriously). I have also known of some oyster shell users boiling their shells for an hour or 2 and rinse it in ice cold water. I don't know if boiling will kill the use of oyster shell, so I'm not sure with it since I don't use anything to balance out my pH.
 
Having kept flowerhorns for few yeras now, I'm unsure of what desirable pH would suit a fh.. Is it around pH 7.5, or more?
 
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