Lowering my PH

[Cirean]

My PH is very high 8.4 and I am trying to lower a bit, I added a piece of driftwood today, I think I am right in assuming this should lower my PH. I wanted to have tank devoted to Bala sharks but I have lost 3 already which I believe is because of my high PH. I had the fish store test my water and I also tested the water and nitrite and ammonia are fine. This tank is 150 gallons let it cycle for a month then added my 4 neon tetra from my old tank and they are doing great but when I added the bala sharks they looked good for 4 days then one died then 2 more the next day 3 are still living though. I asked the fish store for some "hardy fish" and now I have 3 platys and 3 mollys in the tank. I guess my question is what is the best way to get the PH down or should I not mess with this and just look for fish that dont mind high PH (if there are any?) btw my GH is 14-15 which was high on my test kit. any help would be great, this is a very cool site

[wetmanNY]

Your pH is high because your water has a lot of carbonates among its dissolved minerals. Just dropping some wood in an aquarium doesn't bring down the pH, unless water is very lightly buffered. But if I posted to disagree every time I saw this particular misinformation given, I'd be considered very disagreeable...



It's always good advice to match your fish to your water rather than try to recreate water conditions artificially. The livebearers will thrive in your alkaline water, better than they'd ever do for me in soft acidic water. Same goes for a lot of big rough handsome interesting Central American cichlids. Or the cichlids of Lake Malwai.

[Faramir]

I don't think a high pH alone would kill your sharks. If the neons can cope....

Wetman is spot on. Water with a pH that high is probably so hard that the fish need a hammer and chisel to get through it. How prohibitively expensive is RO water in your part of the world?

[Cirean]

RO water?

[Harry Tolen]

RO = reverse osmosis. A method of removing minerals, etc. from water. With a 150 gallon tank you don't want to be buying this stuff by the gallon at the store, but you can go to one of the on-line retailers and buy a system that will generate enough water for your needs for $100.00 or less. If you are interested in looking at this option, go to Big Al's Online or Drs. Foster & Smith.com. You would probably wind up using this water 50/50 or so with your tapwater during regular water changes, in order to soften your water to the point where something like peat or driftwood would actually begin to reduce your pH.

However, wetmanNY is right that this is a lot of work, and you may be better off just keeping fish that actually enjoy your water conditions. Central American cichlids, livebearers, and Rift Lake cichlids from Africa would all enjoy the water just as it comes out of your tap.

[Cirean]

Thanks for the helpful suggestions, I will probably do research on fish that will thrive in my water instead of trying to change the water.

[carpguy]

If I had a great big tank filled with rock hard water I would definitely take a look at the Rift Lake cichlids. They're some of the most beautiful of the freshwater fish and they like their pH to be over 8.

Here's a few links to get you started:
Lakes Victoria and Malawi (http://www.vatoelvis.com/Home.html)
Tanganyika (http://www.tanganyikan-cichlids.co.uk/index.htm)
AfricanCichlids.net (http://www.africancichlids.net/)

or there's always just the Google Directory (http://directory.google.com/Top/Recreation/Pets/Fish_and_Aquaria/Freshwater/Species/Cichlids/African/?il=1).

They are generally aggressive fish, so you'll want to do your research. The folks in the Cichlid forum (http://64.191.28.50/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=4) maybe able to help more. And you'll want a smaller tank for the tetras, platys, and mollys.

They have a devoted following, so you shouldn't have a hard time finding plenty of other resources.

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(Much smaller tank, much softer water)

[zmaj101]

Up here in Utah, we have very hard, high pH mountain water. My water is about 8.4 out of the tap. I have had no troubles keeping any kind of fish in it. I've had a few tanks, and kept about 15 different species of fish through the years, any my experience is that if you can't have an ideal pH, you'll do fine with a consistent pH. Granted, I haven't been able to breed most fish that light softer, more acidic environments, they have lived and been happy for years.

Most fish can adjust to less than ideal pH and hardness. What they can't adjust to is constant changes to pH and water hardness. My advice is to do the best you can with what you have. Good luck!

[Harry Tolen]

About a million years ago, when I lived in San Diego (Frank Curran was still mayor; that ought to date me), I kept and bred Rainbow Cichlids, Blue Acaras, Firemouths, guppies, mollies, and platys (not all in the same tank, of course). Just a possible starting point for your research.

[Skippy]

What type of filtration are you using? Often adding peat to your filtration will help lower it some. But with it over 8 you're probably looking at the need to pre-treat the water before putting it in to hope to bring that down to the 7 range if that's what you're aiming for.

Probably a call for one of those aforementioned RO systems.

[Cirean]

I am using two aquaclear 500, I feel I do need alittle more filtration but for now this will do, I added the driftwood and my ph has come down (albeit just to 8-8.2):) My other 4 bala sharks are still with me so I am thrilled with that.

Not sure if this has happened to any one else cause I have never seen it but one of my fish ( swordtail) that I added from my old tank some how swam like a salmon up stream through the out pouring current of my ac500 then swam to the left and fell down next to the propeller. I was cleaning out the filter and found him just laying there figured he was KIA but i touched him and he sprang to life, he must have been there for three days :( I could not believe my eyes. I put him back in the tank and he is doing great. Thanks again for the help