I've heard much talk about peat moss in the past being able to drop ph in a tank. So, I've been filtering with fluval peat granules for about 3-4 months. Is this the same as peat moss? If so, it hasn't been dropping ph at all. I also plan on using driftwood. I have small pieces in there right now, but not much. The fish are all fine - their mid-range is 7. ph is 8.5 but, they've been doing great regardless. I'm just looking for some natural tips for lowering the ph.
Please help with ph
- Thread starter jlspartz
- Start date
also another question regarding pH...mine is high ranging from 8 to 8.4 but is and always has been extremely stable. I have some new angelfish (1 koi [2 have died since introduction yesterday, even tho i was slow to acclimate about an hour which I'm thinking wasn't long enough. I hear the kois' are more sensitive...] and 3 black marble which are doing very well [eating, swimming, being social, ect]. Short of my high ph, my other parameters are good (nitrate, nitrite & chlorine are all undetectable). Other inhabitants are 3 glass catfish, 2 gouramis, 3 otocinclis, 2 true SAE and a male & female betta, all of which have been long-time inhabitants and are doing very well. BTW, this is a 60 gallon planted tank with driftwood but without CO2 injection, which I am not intending on purchasing. I live in the country with water from my well which is naturally hard and alkaline. I do have an RO unit for my 120 gallon reef tank so I have the ablility to change the pH/alkalinity but am a bit apprehensive given the fact that I don't want to initiate crazy swings in the pH. Do you think I should leave well enough alone or attempt to do some partial changes w/the RO water? If I do that, will the alkalinity stabilize enough to keep the pH in a more neutral range? Thanks in advance for words of wisdom...
well, since my tank has been up and running for over a year now, it's certainly cycled. And since I did mention that i have fish that have been inhabitants for several months, I agree that I should have nitrates...perhaps it is my test strips. They are new...exp date of 7/11....but i do realize that strips have drawbacks with how specific they are. With that being said, if my nitrates were really high (>40ppm) they would register on my readout. Perhaps what I need to do is get something more specific as these strips dont even read ammonia. Sooooo, what about changing pH...yea or nay??
Lots of things can break the cycle. Time the tank has been running is not a way to determine if its cycled. The only way to know is if you can accurately measure ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.
Sudden changes in pH is very stressful to fish. I would not change it unless you have a specific reason for doing so. Then go very slow is all I can say.
If you are having trouble with a specific fish (you mentioned the koi-colored angelfish), I'd QT them in their own tank and match that tank's pH to whatever the pH is in the tank they are coming from. If its vastly different than your own water source, convert them over slowly to your water's pH.
Sudden changes in pH is very stressful to fish. I would not change it unless you have a specific reason for doing so. Then go very slow is all I can say.
If you are having trouble with a specific fish (you mentioned the koi-colored angelfish), I'd QT them in their own tank and match that tank's pH to whatever the pH is in the tank they are coming from. If its vastly different than your own water source, convert them over slowly to your water's pH.
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If your pH is 8.4 and don't see any noticable effect by adding peat moss or driftwood your water has a high alkalinity/buffering capacity. The only way you can get a lower pH is by starting with RO water that has no buffering capacity and adding peat/driftwood to the water to lower the pH. However, without any buffering capacity you are at risk of pH swings, especially if you have a planted tank and during any ammonia spikes.
It is probably best to just keep the pH you have and not monkey with your water unless you are trying to do something fancy like breed discus.
It is probably best to just keep the pH you have and not monkey with your water unless you are trying to do something fancy like breed discus.
thanks for all the advice. In response, yes my buffering capicity is high which is why attempting to change the pH in my tank is not going to work without lowering my alkalinity which is why I questioned using RO/DI water in my original post. I guess I didn't word it right in the beginning. Adding peat is just going to cause swings in my pH which will always revert back to the original reading d/t the high alkalinity...not a situation that i want to do!!! I already have driftwood. I am going to start making water changes with the RO water...I was just hoping someone had an idea as to how small/big of a water change should attempt at a time...Some of my test kits are of the liquid variety because that is what i use in my 120 gallon reef tank so I will start using them (they are not saltwater specific).