Well, this is actually a freshwater aquarium quastion. But it's about chemistry... well if anyone know please help me out. I'm wondering which chemical that is most suitable to lower the pH level of a fresh water aquarium. I have come across with a few kinda chemical but I"m not sure which one is the most suitable. Some are safe i think but too week... and some are strong enough but i'm scare that it might not be safe to use. so anyone could help?
Freshwater
- Thread starter xKEIGOx
- Start date
I'm using Seachem additives such as Reef Buffer and Reef Builder for my marine tank. I wouldn't hesitate to use their freshwater range if I have a planted tank, but it's your tank, so it's your call. I have limited experience with FW, perhaps you could try the http://www.aquaticrealm.com Freshwater forum which is closer to home.
pH down is sodium biphosphate-wouldn't recommend it.
xKEIGOx- what's your pH, and what kind of fish you got?(even for discus, pH is not critical, unless your trying for spawning)
if you want to- pm me and i'll be happy to help-got lots of experience in most freshwater groups-plant enthusiast, too.
xKEIGOx- what's your pH, and what kind of fish you got?(even for discus, pH is not critical, unless your trying for spawning)
if you want to- pm me and i'll be happy to help-got lots of experience in most freshwater groups-plant enthusiast, too.
I used peat moss on my Discuss tank with quite success. Only thing is that peat ads light tea kind of tan to your water, but you may like it as I did.
I would discourage you from using cola bottle CO2 system if you have some more sensitive inhabitants. I never managed to have consistent production that caused some pH swings. But that depends on the buffer capability of your water.
I would discourage you from using cola bottle CO2 system if you have some more sensitive inhabitants. I never managed to have consistent production that caused some pH swings. But that depends on the buffer capability of your water.
randy holmes-farley
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Arlington, MA
IMO, the answer to this question depends on how much you want to lower it, what kind of analytic capabilities you have (i.e., pH meter), what the setup is like (e.g., a spot with lots of mixing or not), and whether you want to do this one time, or continuously. I personally would use HCL for a one time pH lowering if I could make sure that I wasn't adding it too fast.
O P Ing-
hi
actually, it's only because of the phosphate involved that i don't recommend it-it will work.
Randy Holmes-Farley, and Rover's suggestions are prob'ly the best ones, though should be done with care(especially the HCL!)
however,fresh water aquaria are really a different animal.almost all the fish kept by freshwater hobbyists are far more forgiving, and tolerant, of a much wider range of pH values-to the extent that it's usually wiser not to mess with it, unless, as i said earlier, that breeding some of the more sensitive species is the goal, and then, its usually hardness that's the more important factor,not the pH.(hardness affects the ability of the eggs to get fertilized within the proper time window, since it affects the egg membranes permeability, and receptiveness, to sperm.).
that's why i wanted to know which fish xKEIGOx was talking about, or if it was a plant related issue(some plants are actually less tolerant of certain pH ranges/hardness values than most of the fish are)
consistency of the pH is far more important-i've spawned, and raised, tetra's, angels, and discus in higher ph water(dwarf s.a. cichlids, too), and bred and raised africans in slightly acidic conditions.
most attempts to fiddle with pH in freshwater tanks leads to a never ending 'yo-yo' of changing chemistry, and ends up doing more harm than good, imho.
hi
actually, it's only because of the phosphate involved that i don't recommend it-it will work.
Randy Holmes-Farley, and Rover's suggestions are prob'ly the best ones, though should be done with care(especially the HCL!)
however,fresh water aquaria are really a different animal.almost all the fish kept by freshwater hobbyists are far more forgiving, and tolerant, of a much wider range of pH values-to the extent that it's usually wiser not to mess with it, unless, as i said earlier, that breeding some of the more sensitive species is the goal, and then, its usually hardness that's the more important factor,not the pH.(hardness affects the ability of the eggs to get fertilized within the proper time window, since it affects the egg membranes permeability, and receptiveness, to sperm.).
that's why i wanted to know which fish xKEIGOx was talking about, or if it was a plant related issue(some plants are actually less tolerant of certain pH ranges/hardness values than most of the fish are)
consistency of the pH is far more important-i've spawned, and raised, tetra's, angels, and discus in higher ph water(dwarf s.a. cichlids, too), and bred and raised africans in slightly acidic conditions.
most attempts to fiddle with pH in freshwater tanks leads to a never ending 'yo-yo' of changing chemistry, and ends up doing more harm than good, imho.
well i am having an asian red arowana and a aquatic plants tank with tetras and rainbows. I can buy those ready made ph down but it's kinda expensive here and I have been buying chemical from the factory for my coral tank so I figure that if I know what chemical that they use in those pH down then I can just buy it from the factory also.
xKEIGOx":3btzgv9o said:
what pH do you have now?
and fwiw-while the arrowana and tets native waters are acidic, the opposite holds for the rainbows, which hail from harder,more alkaline waters, so your best bet is to keep a middle ground, anyway-about 7.0-7.6 should be fine.
what kind of rainbows do you have?(i love 'em-got a pair of spawning bosemani's and 3 turqoise in my 20 long-the bosemanis are about 4 yrs. old and spawn continuously 8) )
if your pH is anywhere in the range mentioned, i'd say don't mess with it.
hth
I would filter your water with peatmoss, and add charcoal for the second filtration....to remove the yellow tint.
FWIW, I wouldn't worry to much about the Ph of arrowana tank. I've kept silver, aussie black, and Thailand Red arrowana using our local water. The ph value is 8.4, very hard water. It was the ealier days before I know better, but the arrowana's has been with me for a couple of years.
If you currently have RODI for your saltwater tank, you can use the RODI water too.
FWIW, I wouldn't worry to much about the Ph of arrowana tank. I've kept silver, aussie black, and Thailand Red arrowana using our local water. The ph value is 8.4, very hard water. It was the ealier days before I know better, but the arrowana's has been with me for a couple of years.
If you currently have RODI for your saltwater tank, you can use the RODI water too.
my arowana tank have the pH of 7.8-8.0 with the help of some CO2. And the aquatic plant have the pH of 6.8-6.6 also with the help of CO2 and some ph down that i bough here. I was worried about the rainbow at first.. but then they do well even under acidic water. by the way I have cardinal tetra, celebes rainbow, treadfin rainbow, red rainbow and some flying fox. oh by the way~ there is a sting ray that i keep with my arowana and it have lost his tail.. i wonder if it will grow back.. :?
is it that the normal pH down on the market are made of sodium biphospahate?
is it that the normal pH down on the market are made of sodium biphospahate?
well, actually not all rainbow fish. the treadfin rainbow should be in 6.8 while the celebes i think it's about 7.2 and the red rainbow 7.0. I adjust the water to 6.6 cos before that I have some green spot algae problem with some plants such as the nana and minijava. lowering the pH help out a bit. the rainbow still doing fine and there is no colour changes also. :> and thank you very much for the infomation on the chemical!
ah~ danmhippo.. try use some cation exchange resin to softern the water. red arrowana have better colouration in acidic water. but I think silver are from acidic water.... :?
ah~ danmhippo.. try use some cation exchange resin to softern the water. red arrowana have better colouration in acidic water. but I think silver are from acidic water.... :?
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