Using Black water extract

[daneek155]

I have a bunch of rams and 2 angels. my ph is 7.0... should i use black water extract a good product to use????? how brown does it make the water and does is make the ph jump around????

 

[bruinsbro1997]

I have a bunch of rams and 2 angels. my ph is 7.0... should i use black water extract a good product to use????? how brown does it make the water and does is make the ph jump around????

IMO lowering your pH is not necessary. Your fish will be fine at that pH. Better to keep it stable than have a pH fluctuation.

If you find it absolutely necessary to lower the pH then you could use it. IME it made the water quite brownish but it did lower the pH, provided you dose a capful every time you change your water.

 

[daneek155]

or would you recommednd adding a big piece of driftwood?? my driftwood in their is really small. like 6 inches long by 3inch round that i bought at petsmart

 

[adadkins1]

You can add some driftwood, but it will only leech tanins for so long until your water returns to clear and pH of 7. You can use store bought black water extract or you can make your own by boiling some oak leaves.

 

[daneek155]

what could i use to naturally achieve a ph of 6.0/6.5 for long term. my tap water has a ph of 7.4/7.6

 

[daneek155]

any ideas

 

[BillD]

The short answer is to use a mix of tap and rain water or RO water, which will soften the water. In order to lower pH, you have to defeat the buffers in the water that keep your pH at a certain point. It is very difficult to have a low pH without soft water. It really depends on how much you like the idea of playing water chemist. Personally, I don't care about pH and most fish don't either. Even soft water species, such as some apistos will do well in water of higher pH than waters they come from and if the water is soft they will also breed.

 

[daneek155]

im sorta a noob at this and im woried about my german blues.n people told me they cant live in water perimiters with a ph of 7.2... ive had them in there for 2 weeks and one of them for 4 weeks. they are fine right now. have you guys kept german blues sucsesfull in ph waters of 7.2 or 7.4

 

[daneek155]

my tyank has been set up for about 6 months...
i just checked my PH and it is at 7.5

 

[adadkins1]

I wouldn't worry too much about your pH. Unless you are breeding the fish or dealing with wild-caught fish, then you need not worry about the pH too much. I have tetras, rams, bettas, plecos, gouramis, etc. that appreciate soft and slightly acidic water. However, my water is moderately hard and is neutral/alkaline. I really think you should leave your tank as is. It is better to have a consistent pH than it is to have a fluctuating pH. If you really feel the need, you can use some black water extract or some peat moss in your filter. However, this will not cause a drastic change unless your water is very soft.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[daneek155]

my water is soft but when i check the ph out of my tap it comes up at 7.6. that is directly pouring it into the test tube from the sink... ok i hope my german blues live in it. thanks. any other advice will help,.