pH for south american dwarf's

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StevieM

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Nov 29, 2002
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hey all
In my community tank I've got some Blue Rams , Neons and a Orange Spot Bristlenose Plec. The pH of my tap water is about 7.6, moderately soft. I know their are things you can do to alter your pH to a lower state and I don't really want to start messing around with my water or tank like that. My question is what do products like pH 7.0 , or pH 8.2 " for ciclids" and additives like that have in them that will lower my pH or raise it from a steady 7.6 down to a "perfect" 7.0??? ( perfect is their term, not mine).

steve
 
hey there...

as far as i know, they have chemical additives that will alter the ph..... for the time being.....

as soon as a water change is done, ph will revert closer to the natural of the induced water(unless you store it elsewhere and treat it)(which may end up expensive...)


otherwise there are ways to raise\lower your ph more "naturally" --

crushed coral\limestone derivatives will increase ph;
filteredf peat\(co2....)will lower ph...

someone please correct me...
 
The PH.* products are very high in phosphates also. That can become are problem in the form of the dreaded hair algae.

Mixing R/O and tap water is the safest way to lower pH and hardness. Firetank is correct on using peat and crushed coral but unless you have the space and time to treat water with them before hand, there will still be a pH shift to a degree.
 
Hey Stevie. If you don't want to fool with peat you could invest in an RO unit. I'm not sure what size tank you have, but based on the fish you mention it sounds like a relatively small tank. If so, a small RO unit will allow you to mix just RO and tap water, which will allow you to drop your pH. You could add a nice piece of driftwood, which will throw some tannins in the mix to aid the process a little as well. I think this would be less hassle for you and you won't have to worry about the discoloration peat causes. Just another alternative. Good luck.
 
thanks for the suggestions everyone! I need to make a couple corrections on what i originally posted earlier...that might alter some of your advice.

Both my tanks and tapwater :
KH - 6 degrees or 100 ppm
GH - 11 degrees or 200 ppm
pH - 7.6

I've been getting into plants a little more and trying to brush up on the whole CO2 thing and fertilization. Being that my fish are found in blackwater and I've been adding Kent liquid fertilizers ( 3 pack w/ blackwater additive ) in which the additive has helped acheive that look, would peat filtering roughly do the same thing? and help me lower the pH a little? I've heard people on here putting small amounts in pantyhose or the like and placing it in their filter? Is this a possibility? My tank is only a 25 gallon in my bedroom and to me isn't going to warrant a completely expansive setup of CO2 injection , etc. When I have my own place with a show tank in my living room.....ahhhhh then we will go all out. Any mod's to your earlier suggestions based on my official readings would be great...you guys are the best!

steve
 
Steve, Don't do a thing but your normal water changes! I have been breeding Apisto's and soft water cichlids and only once did I worry about the pH. That was for Taeniacara candidi. My normal tap water is 7.5pH with a 175ppm Total Dissolved Solids and I have bred a lot of fish in that water. For a community tank you will be just fine. I always follow the "KISS" method. That's "Keep It Simple Stupid" and I am not referring to anyone on this site! Just me! Now, I do use an RO unit but only to breed some of the more difficult soft water cichlids. Just keep on the way you are and don't worry about anything.

P.S. Steve, you must shop at The Fish Place! Nice huh? And we must both have almost the same water.
 
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Though I know Z Man has the right principles-- and comes up with a long string of breeding sucesses following the KISS method, I can't resist mentioning that peat tea has chelators to keep those added fertilizer nutrients available and to bind some calcium and magnesium too. And no added "electrolytes."

I have a big plastic funnel over a jug. Boiling water goes through the peat just the first time. After that you just pass tapwater through the damp peat. It dribbles through slowly. You keep dumping the peatwater jar into the tank til you have the pH you're after.

So simple. Plain peat from the Yard Yard.

It's not like you need fifty gallons of it...

Still, the KISS principle is even simpler...
 
you could keep it simple and drop in a new piece of wood that you find along the beaches. they say the rotting of the wood is bad, but isnt peat and decaying wood in the tank the same thing. organic material being broken down? dunno. but my 50 has a pH of 6.5 down from 7.6 all from the wood.
 
Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I really appreciate all your input. As for the pH levels, I've decided not to mess with it for right now. My rams have a beautiful color to them , they are active with their little territory displays...and overall the fish seem quite fine. I've tinkered with the tank before and had some problems, so the more I leave it alone....the better it seems to do! If I decide to experiment, I'll defintely try your suggestions...thanks again.

steve

ps. Zman, you are correct....Fish Place is the store of choice for the area I would imagine. How could you NOT like that place??Pets PLus in Lockport and Markheim in Buffalo are pretty nice as well though! Good Luck to you...
 
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