Does Brita help lower aquarium pH?

[Nicki Gaga]

It's a kind of filter that is used in Brita jugs to remove calcium carbonate.

And is it the same as reverse osmosis water? I'm planning on adding some to my water changes to help lower pH.

My aquarium pH is really high like off the scale so I'm trying to bring it down using peat moss and Brita water.

 

[tomtom14]

I am sorry but I do not know if Brita lowers ph. I am however almost certain that removing calcium carbonate would not be the same as reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis is basically removing everything from the water not just the calcium carbonate like the Brita filter you where talking about. Sorry i couldn't help with your other question and I hope this helps.


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[BBradbury]

Water Filter

It's a kind of filter that is used in Brita jugs to remove calcium carbonate.

And is it the same as reverse osmosis water? I'm planning on adding some to my water changes to help lower pH.

My aquarium pH is really high like off the scale so I'm trying to bring it down using peat moss and Brita water.

Hello Nick...

Just barely survived my last reply. But what the heck. I'll give this one my best try. Brita or anything else like this is a charcoal type set up that's main purpose is to remove odors. It won't do anything to change the chemistry of your tap water at far as the minerals in it. Your tap water has minerals in it that are important to the health of your fish and plants. I wouldn't use RO water.

If you have a test kit for pH then use it for a couple of weeks to test the tap water a few times. Fish you get from the pet store are generally very hardy and will tolerate a steady pH between 6 and 8.5.

If your pH is higher than 8.5, look into using peat moss. You can get this stuff at the local landscaping stores. It can help, but research it's use first.

Hope this answer helps.

B

 

[Nicki Gaga]

But I tested my tap water and tested the tap water after it was filtered through the Brita jug. The pH of the tap water was 8.6 but it turned 6.0 after being filtered through the Brita jug.

 

[BBradbury]

Water pH

Hello again Nick...

It's very possible to forget about the pH of your tap water depending on the fish you want. Most from the pet store don't care about whether the water is basic, above 7 or acidic, below 7. They just want the water to be clean all the time.

So, I'll say again if you're able to perform regular water changes, the water chemistry will be stable and you want a consistent pH more than a particular pH.

B

 

[Nicki Gaga]

Can I use a Brita filter to lower pH?

Like how people mix RO water with normal tap water, can I mix water filtered through a Brita filter with tap water to slowly lower the pH from 8.6 to my desired pH - 6.8. I would like to breed neon tetras and other Amazonian fish.

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

Like how people mix RO water with normal tap water, can I mix water filtered through a Brita filter with tap water to slowly lower the pH from 8.6 to my desired pH - 6.8. I would like to breed neon tetras and other Amazonian fish.

All that is is a carbon filter, just like you have on your tank, idk much about lowering PH but I'm guessing look into an RO machine, PH down and driftwood.

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

But I tested my tap water and tested the tap water after it was filtered through the Brita jug. The pH of the tap water was 8.6 but it turned 6.0 after being filtered through the Brita jug.

Really? I'm confused 6 is really acidic too.

Hello again Nick...

It's very possible to forget about the pH of your tap water depending on the fish you want. Most from the pet store don't care about whether the water is basic, above 7 or acidic, below 7. They just want the water to be clean all the time.

So, I'll say again if you're able to perform regular water changes, the water chemistry will be stable and you want a consistent pH more than a particular pH.

B

He wants to breed tetras. Idk I'm in the same boat at 8.4ish and that's just a little to high for my liking, wondering how to stably lower it. Anything from 7-8 would make me happy. Also if the fishstore uses RO water thats a different story.

 

[Delapool]

But I tested my tap water and tested the tap water after it was filtered through the Brita jug. The pH of the tap water was 8.6 but it turned 6.0 after being filtered through the Brita jug.

That's astounding! Ignoring fish stocking and everything for the moment, I didn't know that was possible. I assume you're testing with a liquid based ph test kit? Would you have any details on the filter or a website. Interested in doing more reading to understand it better.

 

[Nicki Gaga]

Here's the website for Brita:
BRITA Customer service | Questions on products & water filtration

And some FAQ's:
BRITA | Household | FAQs

 

[Mystic Fish]

Hmm... "Permanent hardness" and "temporary hardness"...

"The overall hardness of water consists of permanent hardness and temporary hardness. Permanent hardness (caused by calcium and magnesium sulphates as well as chloride) does not influence the taste of water or the function of household appliances. Temporary hardness (caused by calcium and magnesium hydrogen carbonate) primarily affects the taste of food and other beverages prepared with hot water. It is also responsible for the scale deposits found in household appliances that heat water. Not least important, many plants and flowers flourish with decarbonised water.
The BRITA water filter cartridge reduces the temporary hardness of drinking water. The results of this reduction: greater tasting water for hot drinks and cooked food and less scale build up in household appliances. Tea tests performed for over 40 years have consistently shown that consumers perceive differences between the appearance and taste of tea prepared with BRITA filtered water versus with unfiltered water. This difference is clearly more pronounced in regions with harder water than in soft water areas."

 

[Nicki Gaga]

So does it mean it has the same effect as RO water in an aquarium like having a low gH, pH and kH?

 

[Delapool]

Doesn't look like gh (general hardness of calcium and magnesium ion concentration) is lowered. It says not all minerals are removed so not the same as RO.

Looks like kh is lowered which lowers ph.

Would be worth testing gh before and after, you never know or you might have low gh.

Edit - someone will have to help me out but I think you can get ion exchange resins that will remove calcium and magnesium but they replace these with sodium. The sodium can be removed I think by a second process so it isn't getting added to the water output.

 

[PNWaquarist]

Doesn't look like gh (general hardness of calcium and magnesium ion concentration) is lowered. It says not all minerals are removed so not the same as RO.

Looks like kh is lowered which lowers ph.

If it's removing bicarbonate (hydrogen carbonate) ion, that would be the case.

However, bicarbonate is in equilibrium with carbonic acid/carbon dioxide. This means that, after the bicarbonate is removed, more carbonic acid will ionize into bicarbonate and more CO2 will slowly dissolve into the tank water. So I imagine that the pH of one's tank will slowly move back up after filtration. Since the atmosphere provides a steady supply of CO2 and that there is a limit to CO2 solubility in water, I don't see how Brita filters could sustain a lower pH for more than an hour or so.

Edit - someone will have to help me out but I think you can get ion exchange resins that will remove calcium and magnesium but they replace these with sodium. The sodium can be removed I think by a second process so it isn't getting added to the water output.

That is correct. In fact, this is how water softeners work.

It is possible to get rid of the resulting sodium ions, but I believe that the process replaces them with hydrogen ions (which will lower pH). There is a way to neutralize this with sodium hydroxide, but I'm not sure if this step is commercially available.

 

[Nicki Gaga]

I tested the pH of the Brita water again after waiting for 4 hours. The pH is still 6.0.

 

[PNWaquarist]

Where is the water? In a cup? If so, it's not mixing with the atmosphere very well.

Go ahead and set up a tank with a filter and fill it with Brita-filtered water. Over the course of a day, I don't foresee the pH staying at 6.0. These Brita filters have been around for 20+ years and nobody that I'm aware of has found them useful for lowering tank pH.

 

[Nicki Gaga]

:<> I tested it again and it went back to 7.4.

 

[Rivercats]

If you truly and safely want to lower gh, kh, and ph than I strongly suggest using RO. This is a portable unit that I have been using for years... portable countertop reverse osmosis drinking water system - remove fluoride, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, prescription drugs and more. I've used it for years. I make a batch weekly using 2g containers to store it.

When you want to safely lower ph and keep it consistent you will need to start by replacing your WC tap water with 25% RO to get a 75% tap to a 25% RO mix. This will slowly lower your ph over several weeks as you don't just want to drop it all at once. You will have to adjust the amount of tap to RO until you find the right mix to achieve and maintain the gh, kh, and ph you desire.

You want to maintain a gh and kh of at least 4 especially kh as a lower kh means there is usually not enough buffers in the water to keep a stable ph. You need to monitor all three weekly until you achieve stable and proper levels.

Personally I do not suggest trying to lower ph unless you are willing to be consistent in using RO water. While peat, Indian almond leaves, and some DW's will help lower Ph they are not able lower it much unless you have bog wood or use tons of peat or IAL's. Most people do not like the tannins which color the water but it is those tannins that actually soften the water.

 

[Nicki Gaga]

Thanks Rivercats.

 

[Delapool]

Very interesting! Um, sounds challenging to bred tetras?