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Lowering Ph safely

3K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  Derek-M 
#1 ·
I would like to lower my ph to neutral. My tap water is around 7.6 and my aquarium is around 7.4. I was thinking of using CO2 to lower it (as well as feed my plants). I have been using coconut shells to lower it but it doesnt seem to work well. Also how do i keep it down safely so that when i change the water the ph wont change drastically
 
#2 ·
Using peat in the filter will lower the pH by adding tannic acid to the water.


I'm not sure if you want to go through the trouble I do when changing water but heres what I do. Right before I do a water change I test the pH. Assuming its where I want it to be my next goal is to make any new water I put in the tank match that pH (in my case 6.5). I accomplish this by adding the proper amounts of powdered Neutral Regulator and Discus Buffer. They both have a chart on them showing how much to use to obtain a desired pH. Then of course I test that water to make sure.

Now depending on your target pH the discus buffer (or any other low pH buffer) may not be necessary and the neutral regulator alone will work.

You may also want to consider stepping up to small water changes (10% or less) daily and using the lower pH water to gradually adjust the pH of your tank
 
#3 ·
hmm, i dont really want to use chemicals or peat moss since my mom is already angry at all the stuf i do to the tank (she has no idea what ph is, all she knows about fish are that they need water) is there any other way to lower the tank ph as well as buffer it so it will stay that way?
 
#4 ·
co2 injection will but it will be very difficult to stabilize the pH with the diy system I'd imagine you would be using. To control the pH with co2 you have to be able to put in a very precise amount of co2 and have the flow of that co2 remain constant and there is simply no way to achieve that with the diy reactors.
 
#5 ·
musho3210 said:
I would like to lower my ph to neutral. My tap water is around 7.6 and my aquarium is around 7.4. I was thinking of using CO2 to lower it (as well as feed my plants). I have been using coconut shells to lower it but it doesnt seem to work well. Also how do i keep it down safely so that when i change the water the ph wont change drastically
If your fish were unhappy or dying I would say change things, but if things are going well I would tend to leave it alone, 7.4 is nothing to worry about.
 
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