Petsmart experience

often dignified

often dignified

AC Members
Nov 11, 2003
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Conneaut Lake, PA
I went in today to just look around, and I decided to take some water since I don't have ammonia in my test kit (I just ordered some online)

So I got there and this kid, about my age (20), was helping me. I explained what had happened with my tank, and that my pH was extremely high. He got out the test strips and dipped them all. Ammonia, nitrite were around zero. Nitrate registered about 30ppm, and the water was still hard, around 200ppm (I had to figure it out myself... keep reading).

After those, he tested for pH. I looked at all the strips as he was comparing them to the chart. This kid was comparing all of the results to the saltwater chart!!! I don't think it matters for nitrate/nitrite or ammonia, but it does for pH. He said the pH was around 8.4 and that it's in the ideal range. I didn't speak up or tell him that he was looking at saltwater... I can't believe it.

When we were all done he said "this is freshwater, right?" He didn't say that he was looking at the saltwater charts... I wonder how many people come in there with pH of 9 and he tells them it's only slightly high?

I should have told him it was freshwater, but I figured that he would assume that. If I had a saltwater tank, I sure wouldn't be going to Petsmart once a month to get my water tested lol!

After that, I asked what I could do to lower the pH and soften the water... he said to use water conditioner? He then went and got me the biggest bottle of chlorine remover and tried to sell it to me for 15 bucks! :mad:

Anyways, what can I do to lower my pH and soften the water? I want to avoid using chemicals, I'm looking for something natural.

Guess I won't be going back to that store any time soon! lol
 
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The easiest thing to do would be to mix your tap-water with RO water. You'll have to experiment with the ratios until you find the right balance you're looking for.
 
I use nothing BUT R/O water in my tank... It's the best, since my tap water is the worst (not even good for human use!)

It isn't TOO expensive where I'm at, running about .30 a gallon at the LFS, but I guess if you had a large enough tank and did frequent enough water changes it could get expensive. For me it is worth the cost though, because when I moved down here and didn't use it at first, trust me, dead fish add up to a lot more!

Of course, if you do go all R/O, you'll need to add back to the water some of the dissolved solids lost to the filtration process, and something to stablize your KH and PH. Take a look at my tank profile to see a list of what I use with the water.
 
I don't know about balancing the ph levels and all that. But I can tell you why that guy instantly brought you the most expensive bottle of conditioner. Petstore employees have to sell a certain amount of money worth of stuff per hour to make a decient wage and keep their jobs. I have a friend that works at a chain (no names, I dont want to get sued) but she had to seel $130 (Canadian) every hour while she was working. Thats why I've switched to independant stores, its easier to know that you are getting good service there from people who actually know what they are talking about.
 
Lowering ph

One of the easiest ways to lower your PH naturally is to use peat in your filter. It will lower the ph gradually.

Just experiment with it to find out how much you need in your filter to get your tank down what level you would like it and your off.

Peat is cheap and lasts quite long.

Works great.
 
Re: Lowering ph

Originally posted by ScottoMacD
One of the easiest ways to lower your PH naturally is to use peat in your filter. It will lower the ph gradually.

Just experiment with it to find out how much you need in your filter to get your tank down what level you would like it and your off.

Peat is cheap and lasts quite long.

Works great.
Click to expand...
Is there a special kind of peat for aquarium use? My tap water is extremely alkaline. I'll soon have over 500 gallons of aquariums, so buying pre-treated water is out of the question.

My fear about using peat is that when I do water changes the PH will go up and then gradually sink until the next water change. Will this PH cycling have a negative effect on American cichlids over time?
 
Yes it would, unless you treated and stored your replacement water beforehand and stored it in trash cans. If I were in your shoes, I would just try to keep fish that 'prefer' your current tapwater conditions(hard water)....like african cichlids...though, central american cichlids would do fine in water with a pH around 7-8. South american cichlids 'generally' do better at 7 and below.
 
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