water conditioner that lowers ph

[Mike Daugherty]

I am having trouble finding a water conditioner that actually "lowers" the ph in a tank around 20gallons successfully. any info would be great.



thanks,


Mike

 

[SoulFish]

not good to use conditioners to lower pH, fast changes are bad for fish, id add driftwood and see how that does overtime, what is your pH? its good to get your fish used to the tapwater pH if its not too off from what they prefer

 

[RedTurquoise]

Agree! Constant ph is the most important thing you can give your fish! If you start changing ph, the ph will jump around and stress your fish. At the end, your fish will get sick and die. I have experienced this.

 

[Mike Daugherty]

thanks guys,


mike

 

[SLO-Dean]

I'm still struggling with that problem myself, though I found a good source of water (my local water store) but my ph is high and still slowly lowering gradually with water changes.
I have African Root Wood and just started DIY CO2.
some fish prefer high ph like the platies and guppies I have in my tank. But, I want Tetras and need to get mine down.
When it happens I'll tell the world.

 

[RedTurquoise]

What is your ph? If it is above 9.0, I would not worry about it Dean! It may stress your fish out more be trying to change it. A constant ph is the best with any fish!

 

[CANOECRAZY]

above 9.0? Don't mean to seem argumentative but 9 would be extremely high for tropical fish. I think if it started getting that high I might be worried.

 

[RedTurquoise]

I know people that keep their fish in water of 8.5ph, even discus! No problems! In actual fact, contrary to popular belief, most tropical fish tolerate a wide ph range. My discus are raised in 7.6ph as with most discus breeders as well (tap water ph). However, getting closer to 9.0 is worrisome! Again, steady water parameters are the best. If changing ph, you must ensure that it is steady all the time. To do this, you need to use a holding tank or barrel where you can safely adjust ph. NEVER IN THE TANK. I have tried changing ph when I started into discus from 7.6 to at least 6.8! I never did get a chance to use that water because my ph came down to 7.2 then crashed (under 5.0). So, why bother with the pain.

If you do have high ph (above 9.0), I would recommend using a RO system instead, mixing with a little tap water.