Strange Tap Water

G

Grymatta

Large Fish
#1
May 16, 2005
439
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#1
Ok I'm extremenly baffled by my tap water.

I know its extremely soft cause my KH and GH tests show a 1 degree/KH, and 1 degree/GH or less.

The ph of the tap water is about 6.7. After overnight, its roughly the same.

But within a few days, the ph plummets to less than 6.0!

And all I'm adding is some dechlorinator, correct dosage too.

Does this make sense? Is there something in my water pipes?
This is creating lots of problems for my tank and I'm thinking of switching to another source of water for my tank. I live in Brooklyn, NY.

What kinds of bottled water is recommened? Distilled? Spring?

help!
 

G

Grymatta

Large Fish
#3
May 16, 2005
439
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#3
um..is there any way to tell if its been thru RO? Does Poland Spring Purified Water count?
I also saw some which had be distilled through steam method but it had flouride added in it. Is regular spring water bad?

well strange thing..but the pH in my tank is already at 7.0
 

angel51431

angel51431

Large Fish
#4
Apr 22, 2003
624
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NYC
shellvergel.blogspot.con
#4
Heh, i live in Brooklyn too, and also have to deal with the soft, acidic water.

What kind of problems is it creating in the tank?

If your tank is at pH 7, then its got its own natural buffers in it (unless you chemically alter the pH, which I assume you do not). If the tank brings itself back up to 7, then there shouldn't theoretically be a problem with it, unless you are into CO2 and driftwood - which can soften water and lower pH further.

you can try what I do to keep the water further buffered - in Brooklyn the beach is never far away, so I collect seashells, boil and clean them off, crush them to smaller pieces, and place them into the filter, so that water constantly circulates through them and the calcium leaches, raising the KG & GH, and with it the pH, keeping the water buffed. It does help.
 

G

Grymatta

Large Fish
#5
May 16, 2005
439
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#5
hmmm i guess this is just a brooklyn thing and not just my water pipes.

I added a KH buffer a few weeks ago and its still holding cause my ph is around 7 right now

but the tap water quickly goes down to below 6 when exposed to the air for a few days, even tho its comes out at 6.7 pH.
Just thought its strange...

I might try the coral/shell thing..but im thinking i should just get some purified or distilled water and avoid all the problems...

thanks angel and discusgrl!
 

D

discus4everGrl

Superstar Fish
#6
May 24, 2005
1,055
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48
Chesapeake, Va
#6
I know foodlion brand water has been through ro, ozonization and uv sterilization. It's on the label. Do realize that these waters have no buffering capacity once so ever. So the ph will be very low. If impurities are a problem than bottled water is ok, but if ph and buffering compacity are a problem then you should use something to bring them up.
 

G

Grymatta

Large Fish
#8
May 16, 2005
439
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0
#8
if i let my tap water sit in its bucket for a few days..the pH drops to below 6!

how do you keep your water from going acid angel? You dont have any problems with your pH? I'm assuming we have the same water supply in brooklyn...
 

angel51431

angel51431

Large Fish
#9
Apr 22, 2003
624
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NYC
shellvergel.blogspot.con
#9
Well my tanks are acidic (somewhere between 6 and 6.5, I forget specifically from the last time i checked). I just refrain from using acidic buffers to keep it from crashing totally - like driftwood, although I've been tempted to add some lately anyway cause I miss the look of it. CO2 is hard to manage with acidic water as well, thoug hits another I'm tempted to try. Also, the crushed shells do help, since they keep up the KH a bit, and higher KH = higher pH.

I've never had trouble with actual water changes. I don't let my water sit though, i just add dechlorinator (which seems to temporarily bring up the pH anyway) and put it right into the tank. i do large water changes too, 30-40% weekly in the 10 gallon. And the fish always seem to really perk up with the new water, they seem to like it and the pH doesn't bother them.

Really though, I don't think acidic water, between 6 and 7, is that bad at all. In the case of an ammonia spike, in case something happens and there is one, it is less potent in a low pH, from what I've read. That's always a good thing, in a cynical way. And a lot of fish do prefer a slightly acidic environment. Anyway, the fish adjust either way - I've got Rainbowfish, Boesemanis even, living just fine in my acidic water.

Really, it doesn't bother me too much what the pH specifically is, as long as the fish appear happy and healthy, and the rest of the tank looks good. Of course I don't know what kind of fish you're keeping - african cichlids certainly wouldn't appreciate the acidicness I'd imagine. But most aren't that specific with their likes and needs.
 

G

Grymatta

Large Fish
#10
May 16, 2005
439
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#10
Angel -

Yeah, my tanks were very acidic before I added the KH buffers in. They were either 6 pH or lower...couldnt tell cause it went off my charts. I notice that my tap water will reach 6 or lower if I let it sit too.

so..it would seem that the crushed shells bring it up some and keep it there?

I have no problem with the pH between 6 and 7. My dwarf gourami works with that range. But I am worried if it drops below 6 because the biological filter doesnt work as well in such acidic conditions.

do you think I should leave out the KH buffer the next time I do my WC? Will my pH plummet if i do?
right now, its at 7 with the buffers in it..
 

angel51431

angel51431

Large Fish
#11
Apr 22, 2003
624
0
0
NYC
shellvergel.blogspot.con
#11
To be honest, I've never used a chemical buffer and so I wouldn't know how it'd work (although i'd trust a KH buffer more than a pH buffer, cause that's like going to the source of the pH issue rather than just making it temporarily as a pH buffer would). i really couldn't say if it'd plummet or not. If anything, you could always wean off it gradually, like lowering the amount you add with each w/c until you just don't add any. Reallyi'd prefer a natural buffer (like shells or crushed coral) to a chemical one, I'd imagine it to be more stable and to release calcium and stuff over a gradual time, rather all at once like a chemical buffer would.
 

angel51431

angel51431

Large Fish
#13
Apr 22, 2003
624
0
0
NYC
shellvergel.blogspot.con
#13
Hmm, none that I can think of. I usually do my own shell-picking when I'm at the beach or whatever. i go for shell pieces, not full ones, so its not hard to find. The beach on Far Rockaway, queens, has tons and tons of shells, if anything - was just there this past weekend and picked a whole bag-ful of them, broken and whole shells. I figure no sense in paying really.

You might find a small bag of shells at some random little store, I've seen that. No guarantees on where though, and you'd have to really clean them off well cause you don't know what chemicals they've been around.
 

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