pH adjustment

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

skiltrip

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Messages
38
Location
Rockland County, NY
My tap water has a pH of 8.0 - 8.5. My local fish store says that's normal for the area, so it's no big deal. It seems to me that It's better for the fish if I can get the pH below 8. Is it worth messing with, or is messing with pH even harder on the fish?

My carbonite hardness is 2 or 3 (I hope this reading makes sense to people, i am new at taking some of these readings). And i think that makes the CO2 content of my water low. Not sure about this either.

I am keeping barbs and a firemouth cichlid. what do you advise?

- kip
 
the barbs are an asain fish and the firemouth is from guatamala i belive but im not too sure, i know the south american cichlids like the water soft and i think the central americans like it a around 7, your ph sounds good for african cichlids, if you want too lower the ph use peat, i used peat granular as it doesnt seem as messy as the peat fibers, the peat will turn your water a tanned color, that is not harmful too the fish, its just a matter of taste on if you like it or not.
 
the only way i would recommend changeing the ph is threw peat, and leave the chemicals too a chemist as they will probably just mess it up. check the internet for what the ph should be for those spieces. you dont want too pump chemicals into your tank, its not good for the fish, even with ick i raise the temp and add salt , before i add chemicals.
 
Back
Top Bottom