is there a natural way of making water slightly acid?
- Thread starter reybie
- Start date
throw a bunch of driftwood in it.... not practical, but natural. 
and don't worry too much about pH... most fish can adapt very well to a different pH than what they 'require'. more often than not, your fish will thrive in whatever pH you give them, as long as it is steady and you don't try to modify it with chemicals and such. If you MUST lower your pH, adding driftwood CAN lower it very slightly, but that's variable to the wood, the age of the wood, and the size of your tank, obviously.. the safest way i am aware of that you can lower you pH is through CO2 injection for your plants.
and don't worry too much about pH... most fish can adapt very well to a different pH than what they 'require'. more often than not, your fish will thrive in whatever pH you give them, as long as it is steady and you don't try to modify it with chemicals and such. If you MUST lower your pH, adding driftwood CAN lower it very slightly, but that's variable to the wood, the age of the wood, and the size of your tank, obviously.. the safest way i am aware of that you can lower you pH is through CO2 injection for your plants.
legendaryfrog
Tactical Refreshment Action
I wouldnt put oak leaves on the bottom, as this puts unneccesary strain on your bio-filter.
For me, some peat moss and driftwood works the best.
For me, some peat moss and driftwood works the best.
Yeah, oak leaves can be messy, but as a keeper of dwarf cichlids, the fish really like them. It's not all that uncommon in apisto circles.
Eric
Eric
I have driftwood in the tank about 2 weeks old now. It's a Swahala driftwood that I got from Drs Foster & Smith. I do have live plants in the tank and CO2 did come into mind while reading up on plants here on the board. Now I might just go ahead and make me one of those DIY CO2 reactors.
How much impact does it make as far as lowering pH? Also, I have a small powerhead pointed up towards the surface right now for surface agitation. Do I have to redirect that when doing CO2 injection? I also use a canister filter.
How much impact does it make as far as lowering pH? Also, I have a small powerhead pointed up towards the surface right now for surface agitation. Do I have to redirect that when doing CO2 injection? I also use a canister filter.
