Discus Fish & PH

The chemicals are not the best way to control pH--as you've found, they seldom provide stable results.

First--what is the pH and KH of your source water? What is your target?

There are a few good ways to manipulate the chemistry of water, but adding chemicals is not on the list, especially when you are trying to lower pH and have soft water (soft water has fewer minerals dissolved in the water, so dumping more stuff in doesn't help).

What's their pH? Why do they want to change it?

Unless They're breeding fish, discus don't need a special pH or hardness; even then, hatch outs are just smaller in hard water with a higher pH.

Several people keep their fish in a pH at 8 or above... some even as high as 9. The fish are all fine.

IMO, don't change the pH, it's not worth the headache, time, or money.

Like others here have said, just keep it stable. Do not use chemicals to try to change it.
Mine are happy with there PH of 7.4

Discus

The key to discus is water, water , water.

Change water and use aged water. Don't worry about pH and don't use chemicals to change the pH, for as you see it just bounces around.

You didn't mention how big these fish are, are they juveniles? How many? How big a tank? Water temp? Water changes? Feeding?


I have 23 young discus in a barebottom 65 gallon tank, I have 7.9 pH water, kept at 85 degrees. I store water overnight in a 20 gallon bucket (2) and twice a day I siphon waste off the bare bottom of the tank. Every day I do a water change of at least 25%, up to 50% on the 3rd day. That will be more frequesnt as they continue to grow. The tank has a Penguin 330 biowheel plus 2 sponge filters. I feed 4 or more times a day, Beefheart mix, pellet, and frozen foods. I wipe the walls and floor down with paper towels twice a week.

It is a huge amount of work.... did you have any idea that this sort of work might be required before you bought these fish?