Water for apistos...

[BlueJax]

I'm using Waterlife pH 6.5 buffer on my apisto tank to try and get the pH down (local tapwater is pH 7.5-8). Unfortunately I have put in three times the dosage instructed and still the pH is sitting at 7.

Anyone got experience with this? Do I just keep adding buffer until it sits at pH 6.5?

I'd appreciate any help as I'm worried my new A. agassizi are going to suffer long term unless i can drop the pH.

Thanks in advance!

 

[mooman]

They will probably be ok in the tap water (might not breed but will be perfectly healthy). I've kept at least half a dozen apisto species (some wild caught) in tap water with a ph of 7.5. What is the hardness? That's more important. You probably have high KH witch is keeping you from dropping your ph. I tried the same thing only used "blackwater extract". After using about 10 times the recomended dosage with no effect (other than turning my water so brown I could not see the fish) I gave up. You will need to start using RO water if you want to get serious about breeding. Just start doing WCs with RO from grocery store (smaller tank will be alot less work). On this side of the pond it costs about 32 cents per gallon.

 

[BlueJax]

Yeah, I have high KH too. I'm gonna try and up the buffer dosage and see what happens. Technically I think it's impossible to overdose a buffer. Figure I might as well use the stuff seeing as I paid for it.

I'm going to use RO water for water changes from now on, so fingers crossed...

 

[mooman]

didn't say whether or not you were looking to breed or not. What I did was maintain the fish with tapwater and good mix of frozen food. Once conditioned I would wait for a cold front and do a 50% wc with pure RO water in hopes of getting a spawn.

 

[247Plants]

I wouldnt add any more buffer, I would go out and get some RO water and cut the tapwater with that to bring down the Ph and KH

 

[BlueJax]

I'm definitely looking to breed them. If only to help pay for the RO water! lol