Reducing PH in tap water

[niki090909]

My tap water has a PH of 8.0 well maybe higher my test kit only goes to 8.0. When i started my 55 gallon tank, i got the PH to 7.0 before i added fish a few days later, the tank stays at 7.0 now, but i have to treat my tap water with PH down, and I go through quite a bit of it. Any natural ways to reduce Ph without using so much chemicals? Thank you Niki

 

[SoulFish]

do you test the water right out of the tap? if so let it sit in a bucket then test it will usually be much lower, if it doesnt lower you oculd put wood in your tank and add peat to your filter

 

[colesea]

Change your fish. African Cichlids love a high pH of 8.0-8.2 and hard water.

If you come from a region of hard water you might think of investing in an RO filter. It might cost a bit in the begining, but you'll save on having to purchase chemicals in the long run. You can mix RO with your tap to dilute the pH of your tap, or you can make the desired water chemistry from scratch by adding aquarium salts at the appropriate dosages.
~~Colesea

 

[niki090909]

I have drift wood in the tank, so maybe that is helping, and peat, you mean like the peat you plant flowers with???

Changing my fish sounds like a great idea, but i like the fish i have, and what exactly am i suppose to do with them? What is an RO filter?

 

[Avalon]

http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4105

That will get you started. As for peat, it's not the kind you use for plants. If you use that, you will have a huge, rotting mess on your hands. It's best to buy the pre-packaged stuff, although it is far too pricey in the long run.

RO is Reverse Osmosis water. It's the type of water sold at grocery stores for like 25 cents a gallon. Without getting into a long discussion on how it works, it's the best type of filtered water to use. Unlike water softeners that use salt to eliminate hardness, RO water does not. Distilled water is not good to use either because there are no nutrients left in it. Also, distilled water has no buffering properties (no GH or KH reading), and your PH can swing rapidly as a result.

The downside to buying RO water is that you have to lug those 5 gallon jugs around, which is a severe pain in the arse. An R/O unit is great to have, but it's not quite as simple as some make it sound. You will need a very large unit to be able to produce enough water for a 55 gallon, and of course, you will want to use it for all of your drinking water. Good RO units start at about $200, and probably about $400 to supply enough water for a 55 gallon. While the ratings may say "produces 75 gallons per day," you will only see this rate of production the day you install it, or replace all the filters. Also, the filters aren't cheap (around $30 a pop). I have two units, and the filters don't last that long, and I don't even use them for my fish tanks.

So, whaddya do? Invest in a pressurized CO2 set up ($150-200)and grow plants, change your fish, or start lifting weights.

 

[colesea]

And not worry about pH.

If the fish you purchase come from an LFS that is on the same local water supply as you are, then the fish are already acclimated to the higher pH and should be fine. Exact pH of 7.0 in a fish tank is unrealistic to begin with. Basic, run of the mill, LFS barbs, tetras, danios, rasboras, catfish, etc, can survive in higher pHs with much difficulty.

Unfortunately you won't get breeding from any of the softwater, low pH species. If you plan on keeping fish like discus or angels in the future, while they may survive at high pH, I don't think they display the best colors or breeding behaviors at them.

The more you try to mess around with the pH of your tank, sometimes the more trouble and work you make for yourself and the worst off your fish are.
~~Colesea

 

[SoulFish]

i agree with cole about switching to african cichlids they are great, also like he said your fish probably are adapted to the high pH, and have you let your tap water sit out for a day to see if pH goes down?