help: cheap ways to lower ph
- Thread starter tabby360
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Depends on your ph of your tap water. Also depends if you have a planted tank (C02 injection lowers ph) Also depends on the size of your tank.
Like said, C02 injection relatively cheap and advantages if you have a planted tank. If you have a smaller to medium tank, you can always buy r/o water from the grocery store once a week. Thats what I do with my discus at the moment. There are numerous other methods like peat moss (bought at garden centres).
Like said, C02 injection relatively cheap and advantages if you have a planted tank. If you have a smaller to medium tank, you can always buy r/o water from the grocery store once a week. Thats what I do with my discus at the moment. There are numerous other methods like peat moss (bought at garden centres).
If the angels were acclimated at the LFS to your water supply, or were bred locally, you might not even have to worry about it. Find out what they came from and compare it to yours. Keep in mind that your KH (carbonate hardness) will interfere with organic ways to lower pH, such as peat or Muriatic Acid (some discus keepers use Muriatic Acid).
I personally use peat in the filters and the changewater for my discus and angels, as well as live plants.
remember that what's listed as "best" is an ideal situation, but that most angels are bred in less than ideal...
try www.angelsplus.com for more on water issues....great site overall, and might help you decide if you want to go the lowerpH route.
I personally use peat in the filters and the changewater for my discus and angels, as well as live plants.
remember that what's listed as "best" is an ideal situation, but that most angels are bred in less than ideal...
try www.angelsplus.com for more on water issues....great site overall, and might help you decide if you want to go the lowerpH route.
I use peat before I add the water to my tanks. 5 gal bucket, some filter floss, 2$ bag of peat... run water through bucket... very effective. The water comes out at pH of 5 and kh of 0. Mix with tap water for desired pH. Very cheap. There are many websites showing this method.
I agree with luv!
I agree with luv!
Thanks guys!
ronrca I use peat granules in the AquaClears. The trick is to lightly stuff a filter baggie, not tightly pack the baggie. They last for about 2 months. Mopaniwood in the tanks also lowers the pH and KH.
for the discus I add HOT HOT HOT dechlored water to 5 gal buckets with an AC500 filter bag filled with garden peat, let it cool for about an hour and pop Tronic 50w heaters set to 84oF to keep the temp up where the discus prefer it. These bags last about 3-4 weeks. FWIW adding warm water accomplishes a pH and KH drop in case I haven't got enough aged water ready.
Tapwater 7.8 pH 4KH 11GH. Buckets 6.2pH 2KH 11GH. Tank 6.8pH 3KH 11GH.
The angels get dechlored tapwater with a little blackwater extract. Tank 7.2pH 4KH 11GH.
ronrca I use peat granules in the AquaClears. The trick is to lightly stuff a filter baggie, not tightly pack the baggie. They last for about 2 months. Mopaniwood in the tanks also lowers the pH and KH.
for the discus I add HOT HOT HOT dechlored water to 5 gal buckets with an AC500 filter bag filled with garden peat, let it cool for about an hour and pop Tronic 50w heaters set to 84oF to keep the temp up where the discus prefer it. These bags last about 3-4 weeks. FWIW adding warm water accomplishes a pH and KH drop in case I haven't got enough aged water ready.
Tapwater 7.8 pH 4KH 11GH. Buckets 6.2pH 2KH 11GH. Tank 6.8pH 3KH 11GH.
The angels get dechlored tapwater with a little blackwater extract. Tank 7.2pH 4KH 11GH.