FYI, you should at least be supplementing some tap or other salt additive to any RO water. Pure water is not healthy for fish, even those that come from low TDS waters like tetras. There's not much in it, but it is not completely void either.
How do I lower my pH?
- Thread starter RazzleFish
- Start date
Alright so I'll pick up those tests as soon as I can get to the LFS. Since I need lower pH than 7.2 in a different tank, do the almond leaves stain the water as bad as peat does?
Ok, I got both gH and kH test kits today and just tested the water. So starting out, I have no clue what is going on with the numbers I thought I knew what should be happening but as it turns out I couldn't have guessed futher from the actual numbers. Also, I am using 'sera' test kits with liguid regants and test tubes.
For the tank described in the first post:
gH- 4odGH (4 drops)
kH- 1odKH (1 drop)
pH- 7.2
Tap Water:
gH- 5odGH (5 drops)
kH- 2odKH (2 drops)
pH- 8.8
Now for a tank that is just the same as the first but instead of WST's I have a group of platies. I feel this tank will make a good baseline since I haven't been able to change the water in way longer than I am willing to admit :headshake2:. (It was next to be changed until this happened)
gH- 5odGH (5 drops)
kH- 2odKH
pH- 6.0!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!
So I have no clue what all this means......... So is it good news or bad news?:help::help::help:
For the tank described in the first post:
gH- 4odGH (4 drops)
kH- 1odKH (1 drop)
pH- 7.2
Tap Water:
gH- 5odGH (5 drops)
kH- 2odKH (2 drops)
pH- 8.8
Now for a tank that is just the same as the first but instead of WST's I have a group of platies. I feel this tank will make a good baseline since I haven't been able to change the water in way longer than I am willing to admit :headshake2:. (It was next to be changed until this happened)
gH- 5odGH (5 drops)
kH- 2odKH
pH- 6.0!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!
So I have no clue what all this means......... So is it good news or bad news?:help::help::help:
There is no wood in either of them. Since I use a python hose for water changes I tested it straight from the tap.
I'd say you've got soft water which is artificially raised in pH by the water company to preserve your pipes - probably by the addition of sodium hydroxide. Because the KH is so low, this pH soon drops as the sodium hydroxide is neutralised by naturally occurring acids.
I would personally raise the KH to around 4 degrees for stability, then pre-treat the water with peat or bogwood to neutralise the sodium hydroxide, which is the complicating factor here.
So now the question is how do I raise my kH and then does this mean I will no longer be able to use my python to do water changes?
The reason your pH has dropped in the other tank is because you haven't done a water change in some time.
