Lowering ph...
- Thread starter JustSpongeIt
- Start date
D
there are two ways
1. buy a RO unit or tap water purifier and mix with tap to achieve the right pH
2. filter through peat and add lots of driftwood. the tannins in the driftwood will lower the pH and the peat will soften and lower the pH the same way. the only drawback to this is the water turns a tea color.
i personally would go with #1 because the water is clear, and its alot easier to maintain. peat has to be changed every two weeks and can smell pretty bad. RO water can be drained into a spare tank and stored for later use.
1. buy a RO unit or tap water purifier and mix with tap to achieve the right pH
2. filter through peat and add lots of driftwood. the tannins in the driftwood will lower the pH and the peat will soften and lower the pH the same way. the only drawback to this is the water turns a tea color.
i personally would go with #1 because the water is clear, and its alot easier to maintain. peat has to be changed every two weeks and can smell pretty bad. RO water can be drained into a spare tank and stored for later use.
if i could afford a RO unit i would get one
but
i am a poor poor dork that doesnt get paid for what hes worth
what is the cheapest/decent RO unit you have seen joe?
i would love to get one
but right now i just filter/age my water with peat
one bag of peat <2inx1inx4in> can lower the ph of 5 gallons of water in a few days ive found
almost lowered it too much
i had to add clarified tap water to bring the ph up the my tanks level
i think its a good system
for a poor dork
but
i am a poor poor dork that doesnt get paid for what hes worth
what is the cheapest/decent RO unit you have seen joe?
i would love to get one
but right now i just filter/age my water with peat
one bag of peat <2inx1inx4in> can lower the ph of 5 gallons of water in a few days ive found
almost lowered it too much
i had to add clarified tap water to bring the ph up the my tanks level
i think its a good system
for a poor dork
how much peat is a interesting question....
a little goes a long way
from what ive heard you can go from anything like hanging a small pourus bag full of it from the side of the tank
or putting a bag of it in your filter
a couple of pieces of bogwood from my lfs
just a guess...
i would use 10-15 grams maybe?
a little goes a long way
from what ive heard you can go from anything like hanging a small pourus bag full of it from the side of the tank
or putting a bag of it in your filter
a couple of pieces of bogwood from my lfs
just a guess...
i would use 10-15 grams maybe?
D
dork is right, it all depends what you want the pH to be and what size tank. i'd add a little bit and keep checking the pH until you get it to what you want. then you have an idea on how much to put in.
dork in response to your "cheap RO unit" i'd look for a tap water purifier. those things are probably just as good as RO units, and produce no waste water. the only drawback is having the intake tube blow off from the sink. they are quick and easy sources of excellent water. most RO units do 10 gallons per DAY. the tap water purifier does 10 gallons an HOUR.
dork in response to your "cheap RO unit" i'd look for a tap water purifier. those things are probably just as good as RO units, and produce no waste water. the only drawback is having the intake tube blow off from the sink. they are quick and easy sources of excellent water. most RO units do 10 gallons per DAY. the tap water purifier does 10 gallons an HOUR.
How much peat it will take depends on what the buffering capacity (KH) of your water is to begin with. If you have a high KH, it is going to take alot of peat. In cases such as this you would be better making the water in a seperate area first. What many people do is this: take a large plastic garbage can and fill it with water. Fill some nylons with peat and let them soak in the water until you get low PH, low KH water. Then, mix this peat filtered water with your tap water to get the desired results. You might want to drop some airstones in the can as well to provide some aeration and keep a film from forming on the water. If you go this way, just go to your local gardening center and buy a large bag of 100% peat moss (make sure there are no additives in it). You will save a ton of $$$ over using "aquarium peat".