pH Changing

[hortoholic]

Hello everyone!

I heard you can use baking soda to raise the pH if it is to low. But my question is what can I use thats from around the house that can lower the pH when it is to high. If anyone does this or has any good info I would greatly apreciate. Thank you wonderful fish community!


hortoholic

 

[Blueiz]

You can use peat moss to lower your ph. If you want to raise yoru ph and keep it at a consistent level, adding crushed coral will keep it stable for a longer period of time than using baking soda.

What exactly is your ph doing?

 

[jsoong]

It is a lot more difficult to decrease pH than to raise it. Peat don't work terribly well IMO .... At any rate, most of the time, you are better off leaving the pH alone. as long as it is stable, most fish will do fine.

 

[marchmaxima]

I'd leave the pH alone too unless you have a specific reason (eg: trying to create optimal breeding conditions).

 

[hortoholic]

My pH levels seem ok but were a litle high as revealed after testing. I have find vinegar can be used. Will this kill my fish?


Thanks.

 

[mfdrookie516]

how high is high? just remember that pretty much anything between 6 and 9 is ok for fish if it is stable... and i would not use vinegar... im not 100% sure that it would kill them, but i am 110% sure that i wouldnt want to try and find out

 

[bs6749]

Hello everyone!

I heard you can use baking soda to raise the pH if it is to low. But my question is what can I use thats from around the house that can lower the pH when it is to high. If anyone does this or has any good info I would greatly apreciate. Thank you wonderful fish community!


hortoholic

Hydrochloric acid/HCl (muriatic acid at the hardware store) would be the best bet. Before you try to lower it you should understand the relationship between pH and KH.

 

[jsoong]

You definitely need to know all about buffers, KH & all that before attempting to doctor your water with acids (HCl, Vinegar, or others). This is not something you do by trial & error. You can easily end up with yo-yo-ing pH or a tank crash. I still say leave the pH alone if it is stable. <Esp. when it is only "a little high".>

 

[Mark Hewitt]

I did a pH test at the weekend it looks like the tank is at about 7.4, which is fine. But curiously the water straight out of the tap is more like 7.8-8.0. There must be something about the fish and the tank which lowers the pH of the tap water.

 

[mfdrookie516]

try putting some water in a bucket and letting it sit overnight, then test the ph... probably the same as the tank

 

[jsoong]

I did a pH test at the weekend it looks like the tank is at about 7.4, which is fine. But curiously the water straight out of the tap is more like 7.8-8.0. There must be something about the fish and the tank which lowers the pH of the tap water.

Chances are your water co doctored the water by liming it. The pH changes is temporary & will return back to baseline. Letting your water sit out for a day or 2 (& testing the pH) will show if this is right.

 

[hortoholic]

Thanks!