help with pH

SonicMarauder

SonicMarauder

Small Fish
#1
Feb 10, 2006
43
0
0
#1
i just did a water change about 2 days ago

water parameters:
pH : 7.6
ammo :0ppm
nitrites :0ppm
nitrates :20ppm

how do i drop that pH without having to use chemicals... ive shut the air pump off to the UGF(my power head died on me so shush) cause ive heard that over aeration could raise pH so all i have running now is my hotb filter. our water here in the house is really hard i know and aqua safe is my friend

so my question is how do i drop the pH?
 

SonicMarauder

SonicMarauder

Small Fish
#3
Feb 10, 2006
43
0
0
#3
no i just kinda want to keep the pH closer to 7 mainly for my tetras eventhough they can survive in diesel fuel
plus my cory has been acting wierd ever since i switched from distilled spring water to tap water.. he just doesnt look comfy anymore
 

SonicMarauder

SonicMarauder

Small Fish
#5
Feb 10, 2006
43
0
0
#5
^^ i know... i originally had 2 corys but my serpae tetras harassed him too much and died when they were younger and now that my cory is grown a little more i dont wanna get him a buddy because i wanna keep my 10 for over crowding eventhough im sure i could fit another in there... i wanna keep waste down.
 

CAPSLOCK

CAPSLOCK

Elite Fish
#6
Jul 19, 2004
3,682
33
48
39
Cape Cod
#6
I'd leave the pH alone too, you'd be more likely to get big swings than little, stable changes by adding chemicals. Um, you do decholorinate the tap water, right?
 

SonicMarauder

SonicMarauder

Small Fish
#8
Feb 10, 2006
43
0
0
#8
CAPSLOCK said:
I'd leave the pH alone too, you'd be more likely to get big swings than little, stable changes by adding chemicals. Um, you do decholorinate the tap water, right?
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yesm i do infact i like lookin at the black crud at the bottom of the pitcher when i add the aquasafe

i got bored yesterday and dechlorinated a bunch of water to see how much of it i could get at the bottom heh. none of it actually made it into the tank

hard water: a ton of scientific fun for a whole 1.5 seconds
 

Lotus

Lotus

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
#10
Aug 26, 2003
15,115
13
38
Southern California
home.earthlink.net
#10
What's the pH of your tapwater after it has sat for 24 hours?

There's nothing wrong with a pH of 7.6. In fact, distilled water is pretty bad for your fish. I would say that it's the hardness they're reacting to, not the pH, and they're reacting to the rapid change, not the hardness or higher pH itself.
 

D

dogdoc

Large Fish
#12
Sep 6, 2005
393
1
0
#12
I have a whole slew of tetras (neons, phantoms, black skirts) that are all very happy in a pH of 8.0. Also have some cory's in the same tank. They bred a couple of months ago and I got about 15 babys.

I tried chasing the dragon at first too. My fish hated it. The pH swings made them very unhappy. Took me a while to settle down and listen to the good folks here and leave it be, but I'm glad I did. And so are my fish.
 

E

Etheostoma

Large Fish
#13
Aug 28, 2005
300
0
0
Missouri, USA
#13
That "black crud" is probably manganese precipitate. That means (to me) your source water comes from a soil-bottomed reservoir, or, shallow soil aquifer in either instance, the soil contains a large amount of carbonate rock residuum.

Like everyone has mentioned, 7.6 is no worries for the fish you have. If it really bugs you that much, you can substitute distilled water for a percentage of your water change, but watch it! If you decrease the hardness too much you'll wind up with wild pH swings and a host of other associated problems.

Best addage is "no broke, no fix". Your cory will get used to it. I remember when mine got all depressed when I switched from incandescent light to flourescent. Picky 'lil ingrates.
 

SonicMarauder

SonicMarauder

Small Fish
#15
Feb 10, 2006
43
0
0
#15
Etheostoma said:
7.6 should be fine.

What's the issue? Acid-loving fish? Breeding concerns?
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and yeah i wouldnt mind if my serpaes started breeding. not really for purposes of having more of them, mainly just to keep things more towards a natural sense but all the info i have say to get serpaes"in the mood" i need a ph of 6.8.... its not of any big importance.. but it'd be kinda neat to watch i guess....

oh well i guess if i want to see fishy looooove i should get guppies... the horniest fish on the planet
 

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