Planning for PH, but it keeps moving

rsn48

So I had all my fish planned, taking into account a PH of 6.5 and very soft water here in the lower mainland. By chance I was at one of the cities LFS and talked to the son (an employee of the store) whose father is head of water quality for the entire lower mainland. Our water in North Vancouver has been around PH 5.5 but it took a recent jump to 6.5. Okay I liked that jump, but talking to the "son" I found out the region intends to move the water up to a PH of 8 and much harder water.

A new filtration system for Vancouver has just opened and they have publicly announced they will be "adjusting" PH and hardness. Now I'm a bit stumped. According to the "son," the water will be buffered and he says if I put the water in a container and aerate it for 24 hours of more, the buffer will lose strength and the water will return to its "natural" PH.

So how do I plan around this new reality?

Mean Harri

I wonder if it's possible to just aerate water to reduce the ph and hardness. GH is the mineral, etc... disolved in the water. I don't know if simple aeration can reduce that or not. Unless there is a way that they can adjust this with gases dissolved in the water. Then aerating would make sense. If what "the son" says is true then I think you will have to get your water change water ready ahead of time. Interesting, to say the least

rsn48

I was talking to my buddy architect and he was wondering why they'd go to a PH of 8 and make the water harder, then we'd have "scaling" problems in pipes, coffee makers etc. I think this issue is worth a phone call to the new filtration plant. But I agree, I was thinking of keeping some water in a plastic garbage can, heck even with a heater and a pump, I could treat the water for chlorine, or just wait it out, and put the water directly into the aquarium without much of a temperature swing.

marzipanquinn

That's what I do! I heat the water in a large bucket with a spare heater and treat it there too!

Angel079

For one, talk to the actual people in charge of that @ the Water company not some son of XYZ. If they do indeed plan on doing this, find out exactly WHAT they're using to get the water there!!
Once you find out what they're doing you can go from there. Simply by pulling pH 8 water into a bucket, bubble it up for 24hrs and then use it it will not drop down to pH 6 magically just like that.

rsn48

Angel, I agree with you. The "son's" argument was that the water would be quite buffered at the filtration plant and the buffering would wear off quickly by heavy aeration.

Byron

As a resident that would be affected by this, I'd like to know more about what is actually going to occur. I will make enquiries. They raise the pH now from below 6 in the reservoir to 7.0 out of my tap, and it is 7.2 and 7.4 in some sections of the region. There is no mineral added to the water, it is still near zero GH and KH. I was told once how they raise the pH, by adding something, but I've forgotten what it was since it has no real long-term effect on using it for fish.

If the water is somehow hardened by adding calcium and magnesium, it would be very expensive to go from zero up to a substantial hardness, and I can't imagine even a political body being that senseless. But if it is done via mineral, no aeration will lower it. Those who have hard water can attest, the only way to soften it is RO or peat. Or here, we could collect rainwater; we have no industry to speak of, and collecting rainwater in barrels (not from roof runoff) with all the rain we get would be one method.

Byron.

Angel079

That's why I said guys - Go find out the REAL details.... I donno how things are regulated in Canada in this respect, but here locally I would bet you my all out water plant would NOT go through the cost involved upping our water to some 2-3 degrees hardness 'just because' I mean you think of the gazillion gallon water involved there and the cost to do this....I doubt it - Or you live in a VERYYY rich part of the world where the govt has endless amounts $$ to spare

So find out what's REALLY happening to ya'll and go from there.

@ Byron: I have done the rainwater approach before (for the killi breeding), so if this water matter checks out for you guys, feel free to PM me and I'd gladly share exp with the rainwater mixture

rsn48

Byron, I was at Aquarium West today (Sunday) and they have been getting "wild" reading as high as ph 8.5, at first they didn't believe it but now they are suspecting a hike in ph levels.

Byron

Interesting. I happened to check my tap yesterday, it was the normal 7. I don't (haven't been) testing regularly because I have a fair idea what it is, and yesterday I checked the tanks too, which is why I did the tap just out of curiosity. I'll look into this with the Water Board tomorrow. Thanks for the heads up. B.