chemicals in water
- Thread starter mandakay
- Start date
I bought some of that as a newbie too. Complete waste of money for me. Is your tap water hard or soft? You could choose fish to keep based on how they do in the natural pH pf your water. Or, if you need to raise pH and kH like I do in a couple of my tanks, you can put in some coral gravel or some crushed oyster shell (sold for chickens at the feed store), or throw in a couple of seashells, maybe.
You really don't want the aggravation of monkeying around with chemicals to 'set' your pH. Too easy for it to destabilize, and a stable pH is way more important than just exactly what the pH is.
You really don't want the aggravation of monkeying around with chemicals to 'set' your pH. Too easy for it to destabilize, and a stable pH is way more important than just exactly what the pH is.
mandakay,
And just remember, if you ever decide to lower your pH (which you probably don't need to for the betta or snail)---many tetras like a lower pH, for example---then you could always add in some driftwood.
I agree with everything that's been said about not wanting to mess around with adding any chemicals to try to alter your water's pH---Mess around with it, and you'll have a recipe for disaster on your hands!
The fish will adjust to your pH.
Big Vine
And just remember, if you ever decide to lower your pH (which you probably don't need to for the betta or snail)---many tetras like a lower pH, for example---then you could always add in some driftwood.
I agree with everything that's been said about not wanting to mess around with adding any chemicals to try to alter your water's pH---Mess around with it, and you'll have a recipe for disaster on your hands!
The fish will adjust to your pH.
Big Vine
hey BigVine..
I see that you have a tetra tank. Did you actively try to lower the pH for the tank? I'm wondering cause the pH in my neon tetra tank is about 7.2 and I'm debating if I should lower it to make them happier. Other than adding driftwood, what other ways are there to safely do so?
thanks.
I see that you have a tetra tank. Did you actively try to lower the pH for the tank? I'm wondering cause the pH in my neon tetra tank is about 7.2 and I'm debating if I should lower it to make them happier. Other than adding driftwood, what other ways are there to safely do so?
thanks.
Grymatta,
Excellent question...other than the driftwood, I have no idea.
If you're at 7.2 without driftwood, then adding the driftwood may just barely put you on the acidic side of the pH scale...which is great for the tetras.
Still, 7.2 pH ought to be just fine, so I wouldn't worry about lowering it by any other means aside from using driftwood.
There are chemicals that can supposedly do this for you, but in my opinion they are NOT a safe way of doing things. The risk of messing up your pH level isn't worth it.
Your pH is fine.
Big Vine
Excellent question...other than the driftwood, I have no idea.
If you're at 7.2 without driftwood, then adding the driftwood may just barely put you on the acidic side of the pH scale...which is great for the tetras.
Still, 7.2 pH ought to be just fine, so I wouldn't worry about lowering it by any other means aside from using driftwood.
There are chemicals that can supposedly do this for you, but in my opinion they are NOT a safe way of doing things. The risk of messing up your pH level isn't worth it.
Your pH is fine.
Big Vine
yeah..i thought as much. With the driftwood..do you boil it or soak it in a tub for some days before putting it into the tank? Will that leech out the tannins?
The reason my pH is high is because I have a heavily planted tank and the plants somehow raised the pH cause my tap water is normally below 7.0....
The reason my pH is high is because I have a heavily planted tank and the plants somehow raised the pH cause my tap water is normally below 7.0....
If it's "wild-caught" driftwood, then yes, you will want to rinse it in tap water and then boil it (not sure for how long though...I'd bring to a boil, then let simmer for a few hours). You may want to then also rinse it in a light bleach solution (5% bleach/95% water)...as I've heard that recommended before.
Just be sure to rinse it off very well before putting in the tank. In fact, I'd set aside a bucket of aquarium water and just let the driftwood soak there for several hours or overnight (after you've undergone the cleansing process mentioned above).
Mine was store-bought and presoaked, so I didn't have to go through the cleaning process.
Hope this helps.
Big Vine
Just be sure to rinse it off very well before putting in the tank. In fact, I'd set aside a bucket of aquarium water and just let the driftwood soak there for several hours or overnight (after you've undergone the cleansing process mentioned above).
Mine was store-bought and presoaked, so I didn't have to go through the cleaning process.
Hope this helps.
Big Vine
pH fluctuates more widely in planted tanks:
1) Because as plants & algae photosynthesize ("make" oxygen) there are other reactions that will cause pH to go up.
2) Because as plants & algae respirate (that's right, they breathe oxygen during the dark cycle) the increase in CO2 forms carbonic (carbolic?) acid which will cause the pH to go down.
pH is not a good indicator of hardness, only acidity/alkalinity. However, having pH on the high side indicates there's still some buffering potential in the water. Buffering is the ability of the water to resist fluctuations of pH and is largely dependent on the bicarbonate hardness of the water.
You can use sodium bicarbonate to raise pH, and alum (sodium aluminum sulfate) to lower pH. However if you're running in the range from 7.0 to 8.5, everything should be A-O.K. The clincher is with lower hardness it's really easy to overapply the pH-up or pH-down treatment and whack your fish.
Also, toxicity of different metals (like copper, zinc, etc.) fluctuates along with hardness. Treating a tank with copper for algae or ick can be fine for one person, but the hardness of water in another's tank can mean the same dose is toxic to the fish.
Gotta know your hardness, or at least an approximation of it. Call the Public Water Supply or Health Department and ask them what the hardness was at the last analysis. Use that as your approximation +/- 100ppm.
1) Because as plants & algae photosynthesize ("make" oxygen) there are other reactions that will cause pH to go up.
2) Because as plants & algae respirate (that's right, they breathe oxygen during the dark cycle) the increase in CO2 forms carbonic (carbolic?) acid which will cause the pH to go down.
pH is not a good indicator of hardness, only acidity/alkalinity. However, having pH on the high side indicates there's still some buffering potential in the water. Buffering is the ability of the water to resist fluctuations of pH and is largely dependent on the bicarbonate hardness of the water.
You can use sodium bicarbonate to raise pH, and alum (sodium aluminum sulfate) to lower pH. However if you're running in the range from 7.0 to 8.5, everything should be A-O.K. The clincher is with lower hardness it's really easy to overapply the pH-up or pH-down treatment and whack your fish.
Also, toxicity of different metals (like copper, zinc, etc.) fluctuates along with hardness. Treating a tank with copper for algae or ick can be fine for one person, but the hardness of water in another's tank can mean the same dose is toxic to the fish.
Gotta know your hardness, or at least an approximation of it. Call the Public Water Supply or Health Department and ask them what the hardness was at the last analysis. Use that as your approximation +/- 100ppm.