mumrah
Aquarium Advice Freak
I've been trying to lower the ph in my cichlid tank lately and i'm having the hardest time.
First off, my tap water is 7.6, pretty hard as well. So, i have peat moss in my filter, and some driftwood in the tank. I'm doing 10% daily water changes to try and lower my ph. The fresh water i'm adding has a ph of 6.2. It is the water mentioned in my DIY DI water thread. The ph of this water is stable as i have left a sample of it in a jar for several days, and it remains acidic.
So, here's the great part. The water in my tank is some how more alkaline than my tap water. I have no idea what is causing this alkaline buffer in my tank, but here is a list of EVERYTHING in my tank.
Bottom to top:
Aquarium gravel
Aquarium sand
River rocks (from lfs)
2 clay flower pots (one broken in half)
3 plants (assorted swords)
2 pieces of driftwood (~10")
several java ferns
typical 10g HOB filter
2 15W lights
airstone
heater
blah blah blah
fish
Is someone sneaking in my house when i'm not around and pouring milk of magnesia in my tank? I'm going to try a few 20% water changes with the 6.2ph water and see if i have any more luck.
First off, my tap water is 7.6, pretty hard as well. So, i have peat moss in my filter, and some driftwood in the tank. I'm doing 10% daily water changes to try and lower my ph. The fresh water i'm adding has a ph of 6.2. It is the water mentioned in my DIY DI water thread. The ph of this water is stable as i have left a sample of it in a jar for several days, and it remains acidic.
So, here's the great part. The water in my tank is some how more alkaline than my tap water. I have no idea what is causing this alkaline buffer in my tank, but here is a list of EVERYTHING in my tank.
Bottom to top:
Aquarium gravel
Aquarium sand
River rocks (from lfs)
2 clay flower pots (one broken in half)
3 plants (assorted swords)
2 pieces of driftwood (~10")
several java ferns
typical 10g HOB filter
2 15W lights
airstone
heater
blah blah blah
fish
Is someone sneaking in my house when i'm not around and pouring milk of magnesia in my tank? I'm going to try a few 20% water changes with the 6.2ph water and see if i have any more luck.