I can't get my pH below 7.2

[el wadd]

I've tried everything. Water changes and buffers, peat, my gravel is even active, and I still can't get it to 7 or below.

I need help. I've used neutral regulator and discus buffer, AND STILL IT STAYS PUT.......

What do I gotta do?

[davexstumpe]

im thinking your water is too hard?


my water was too soft and the pH was below 6.0 and probably even lower but thats the lowest pH my kit measured.

lower your kh and it should be a lot easier.



and i know someone else is going to say it, so i might as well..
but as long as your not attempting to breed, you're better off leaving pH where it is, as fish would much rather a steady pH than pH swings that occur when you attempt to alter it.

not to mention that 7.2 is a pretty neutral pH and most fish could adapt to it anyway.

[el wadd]

Yea, I know....but theres just something wrong with a discus tank running at mid 7's. As far as water hardness goes, I thought peat was supposed to soften it up pretty well. Hard water is the norm around these parts, so I thought I was conditioning it pretty well....guess not.

[quadpants]

It's your Eco Complete. Some bags are known to raise pH. Are there lots of white pieces in it? My bags had a few white chunks and no matter what I did my tank would stay at 7.6.

[Rbishop]

uh...pH and hardness are two different issues

[Nolapete]

There's nothing wrong with keeping your discus at mid 7's. It's more dangerous to them to have fluctuating pH than having it above 6.6-6.8. You have too many dissolved solids in your water evidently which are buffering it. RO/DI is going to be your only solution or maybe bottled water.

[hitman12131976]

By the way, Neutral Regulator tries to keep your pH from rising or dropping once it's reached ~7. So that could also be why your pH isn't going up or down. It's regulating the pH to make sure it's not getting any pH swings.

[davexstumpe]

uh...pH and hardness are two different issues


They are quite related though. If you lower the pH in well buffered system, the pH will lower for a little while. but it will soon restablize to its original value.

Therefore, lowering the KH would need to be the first issue to deal with.

Not to mention discus like softer water as well. So it works out for the better.

[el wadd]

uh...pH and hardness are two different issues
I figured it would soften up with the addition of peat to my cannister filter. What else should be done to soften the water?

[Aphotic Phoenix]

Water hardness is the amount of minerals dissolved in the water. Some level of minerals is needed since plants and fish absorb them for their own growth. If you feel the need to soften your own water you can get an RO/DI filter, but be forewarned this can get very expensive overtime.

What you should do is contact your breeder and ask them about what conditions they keep their Discus in, and what they recommend (since breeding conditions are often a bit different) Most captive bred Discus have been raised to accept a wider range of pH and water hardness, so unless you are purchasing wild Discus, or planning to breed them yourself, it really should not be a huge issue.

[davexstumpe]

By the way, Neutral Regulator tries to keep your pH from rising or dropping once it's reached ~7. So that could also be why your pH isn't going up or down. It's regulating the pH to make sure it's not getting any pH swings.

Good point.

Ditch the neutral regulator for a while, and after a few water changes maybe you'll see the peat doing its job.

[el wadd]

my pH straight from the tap is around 8. I'm not trying for africans.

[Rbishop]

Stop using the chemicals. Use peat/RO.

[el wadd]

Stop using the chemicals. Use peat/RO.

wouldn't I have to add trace elements etc back into the tank?

[1boatnut]

I personally think you are putting way to much emphasis on the PH readings.

I agree with Nolapete & Aphotic Phoenix.
The higher PH will not affect the fish as much as a fluctuating one. Also like stated,the breeder(;s) usually breed them with tap & RO water,maintaining a higher PH because they know thats how most fishkeepers in that particular area will keep their fish.

My PH is 7.8 - 8.0 and my Discus are none the wear for it.
Just keep them in clean,satble,warm water and they should be fine.

[el wadd]

cool, I'll give it a try and see.

[el wadd]

I'll find a place in town that sells it....
ok. so I do my water changes with RO/DI water. what happens over time with multiple water changes? will the mineral levels eventually dissapear, necessitating adding trace elements etc. back in?

[J double R]

yes. RO water is essentially empty, and has virtually no minerals, which is not good.

[el wadd]

yes. RO water is essentially empty, and has virtually no minerals, which is not good.

Does anyone know how to go about buying RO/DI without the hassle of having to go and purchase an expensive system? I'm pretty much going all out on this tank, but want to buy some retail first to give it a shot. Are there places that sell it by the barrell? Just to give me enough time to get cash up for something permanent. I'm having trouble locating anything online.

Could a person hook an RO/DI unit underneath the tank and have it essentially top itself off?

[jm1212]

have you tried adding a nice piece of driftwood to your tank?

[Aphotic Phoenix]

When I made the RO/DI water suggestion I didn't mean using PURE RO/DI water for water changes, but instead use it to dilute the hardness of your tap water if necessary. Basically find the ratio of RO/DI to Tap to achieve the desired hardness. As for commercial sources...Distilled water is basically RO/DI water.

Our tap water is basically Why products like CLR were invented. Our tap water is so hard you can't use bar soap (has to be liquid) in the shower if you want to feel truly "clean". That is why I really recommended talking to your breeder first...unless you have serious water hardness problems you shouldn't need to invest in an RO/DI filter system.

[el wadd]

hard as stone. not checked by me(I don't have the test kit), but word on the street is it's hard.

[el wadd]

have you tried adding a nice piece of driftwood to your tank?

Half the tank is driftwood. Probably around 20-30lbs. of it.