Lower Ph

[Fishinfreak]

So as some of you may know, I'm getting very close to rescaping my 6.6g into a nano tank. My API master test kit arrived today (yes ive waited this long ). And tested the ph of the water of both the 6.6 as it is now (still hasnt been drained, but there are hundreds of ramshorns), and my dirted bowl, and am unhappy with the results. For the the 6.6 the Ph was about 8.0-8.2 and the bowl was about 7.8. The new 6.6 will be dirted (its currently just gravel) so Im hoping that the dirt will bring it down a few, but for the fish I want to get I think im going to have to lower it even more. I will be stocking with scarlet badis, red rosy loaches, and either Green Kubotai Rasbora or chili rasboras; along with a neocandria(sp?) sp.
What can I do to lower the Ph, so far it seems like my best choice is to see if I can get some Indian Almond Leaves and/or peat moss from my LFS, as I don't have the money or need for an RO unit, as Im in high school. Thanks for the Help

 

[Mifsud]

It isn't always a good idea to fight the tap over pH.

What is the pH of your tap water? What kind of decorations do you have in the tank?

I had a similar problem 6 months ago that was caused by some old flower pots that I had reused as aquarium décor.

 

[Fishinfreak]

The 6 has a plastic cave, driftwood, and some live plants-- so nothing thas would cause a ph spike. The bowel has live plants and a rock from my yard that I tested with vinager and it didnt fizzle at all, so I assume its safe. Anyways, the bowel does have a lower ph. Also, both tanks have aquarium gravel and the bowel has dirt as i said earlier. I can check the ph of the tap tomorrow to see what that is straight up.

Sent from my SCH-S738C using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Mifsud]

Yeah, your décor sounds pretty legit. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that your tap is a little hard. Have you performed kH or gH test?

Certain fish may have trouble living in an alkaline environment, but most will acclimate just fine.

 

[Fishinfreak]

I don't have a kg or gh test, so I haven't performed those. If I remember correctly, I was able to find on my cities website that they had boosted the ph on their own some, which I guess may mean it may not have all the minerals usually associated with high ph.

 

[Fishinfreak]

Also, I am planning to go fairly heavily planted (low tech), so would the plants put a dent in my hardness? I guessing not, since they would be reintroduced with every water change

 

[Fishinfreak]

Just tested my straight up tap with and without dechlorinator (prime). Without it was 7.4-7.6. In a second tube i added a few drops of prime (I tried to do as little as i could) and let sit for a few min without testing. When I tested, the ph was up to 8.2! Could it just be from an overdose of prime in the little tube, or is prime actually boosting my ph a little.

 

[Mifsud]

I've heard rumors of elevated pH from overdosing dechlorinators, but I do know the mechanism behind this rumor.

 

[trennamw]

Our LFS store (which is not so little and, I hear, is one of the best on the west coast) told me recently that 6 is fine if it's stable, 8 is fine if it's stable ... Stability being more critical than hitting the perfect number. They even told me to stop using the API pH test and had me get the one they use, which is a 3-10 range kit used in hydroponic gardening. It doesn't give readings in decimal points and really helped me calm down about pH, since the output doesn't make a .4 shift seem like a lot.