My tap water has a ph of 7.5. My planted tanks (all have Co2 injection, not diy) have a ph of 6.2. I also have some wood in each tank. The Co2 has been very beneficial to these tanks, but it did take me a long time to get the balance of Co2, lighting, ferts and trace elements right. I should probably mention that I got frustrated with the diy set-up pretty rapidly. Once you make the initial investment for a good system, it is dirt cheap to run. I also read and researched for a good year before taking the plunge, and I still consider myself a rank amature on the subject.