Lowering PH

How do YOU lower your PH If you infact, need to do so?


Ours is around 7.8.. And i need it to be in the low 6's.



Years ago, i use buffer from Seachem. Looked like powdered cocaine. lol



Is that still the stuff to use today?





Thanks
-Sean

You can use peat. They sell it at the garden centers, the drawback is that it can stain the water brown with tannins. Driftwood will bring it down somewhat. RO units will lower the ph. Co2 units. Generally I stay away from changing the ph. Usually when you are altering the water chemistry, you will get wild swings that stress the fish. Ours is 7-7.2 and usually everything I've kept does fine and breed well. About the only fish who need a low ph to breed are typically Discus, and Checkerboard cichlids, Rummy nose tetras, some species of wild caught dwarf cichlids, and Cardinal tetras.

Yeah im going to try peat first.
It can be pre-treated for a few days in a bucket of water.

I'll give it a shot.

I'm in the same boat as you with the high PH. I was using Seachem's Acid Buffer, in combination with Neutral Regulator. But now I've pretty much given up trying to lower and regulate it as it seemed I was just causing the fish (and myself) more stress than it was worth trying to achieve and maintain neutral water.

I have 2/3 of a big (1.2 kg) bottle of Acid Buffer I'll sell cheap if you want to make an offer. Available to pick up or I can bring to next meeting if interested.

Becky

I agree that playing with the ph is not a wise idea. Best bet is to either leave it alone - the fish will adapt - or use 100% RO and buffer up or down from there.

Best best is to let it be what it wants to be.

DZ