PH of 8.4...best way to lower?

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ManicPenguin

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Nov 26, 2013
Messages
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I am running guppies, mollies, and cories in a 20 gal tank with plenty of filter, but my PH is high at 8.4...I think the high PH is causing stress to the fish and making the water cloudy.

What is the best product/method to lower the ph?

Could I use distilled white vinegar?

I have gravel substrate and my well water is very hard, but I use water from the softener...haven't test the PH of my tap yet.

AqAdvisor says I should be at a PH of 7-7.4
 
I use a 4-1 ratio of hard to soft water. TDS of the hard water is something over 400ppm
 
YOur 20 Gallon Tank

I am running guppies, mollies, and cories in a 20 gal tank with plenty of filter, but my PH is high at 8.4...I think the high PH is causing stress to the fish and making the water cloudy.

What is the best product/method to lower the ph?

Could I use distilled white vinegar?

I have gravel substrate and my well water is very hard, but I use water from the softener...haven't test the PH of my tap yet.

AqAdvisor says I should be at a PH of 7-7.4

Hello Man...

It's more important to have a steady water chemistry than a particular chemistry. Most aquarium fish will adapt to most public water supplies. Well water just needs to be treated to remove chlorine and chloramine. A pH in the 8 range is a bit alkaline, but the fish should be fine as long as you keep the tank water pure. You could add some small pieces of driftwood. These will lower the pH a bit naturally. But, the tank is very small.

The real issue is the waste load you're putting on the tank. Mollies get pretty large and are very particular about their water conditions and Guppies are fast breeders. These fish will outgrow a small tank in a few months. Corydoras are foraging fish, they do best in larger, longer tanks.

Look into getting a larger tank and in the mean time, I would remove and replace half the tank water a couple of times a week.

B
 
Thanks BB.

I replace 50% at least once a week, and sometimes I do a 20% when I feel like it in addition.

I'll look into some driftwood. I live on a bend in a big river (Wabash) and there is a TON of hardwood driftwood there from the yearly flooding.

Bake, Boil, Soak.

Cheers!

MP
 
On the waste.... yeah....I am a bit overstocked. I tried to keep the fish selection small so I got the smallest cories I could get at LFS.

I am looking into getting a 35-55g just as soon as I can find a used one online for cheap.
 
You haven't mentioned numbers of fish, yet you have been told you may be overstocked???

Use a higher proportion of softened water as the minerals have been removed. Is it an RO unit?? What is the pH of the softened water?
 
BB and I have corresponded in other threads so he knows I have a bunch of fish.

20 gal
6 mollies
3 guppies
2 cories

All are juvenile so I don't think I am actually overstocked yet, but I am working on getting a 55 if I can find one cheap.

I don't know the ph yet of my well water. I'll check it in a few hours when I get home from work.
 
Some natural ways to help lower is driftwood and oak leaves. Just that lowered mine from like 7.6 to 7.0. Peat moss in filters should help to. But it will stain the color of your water
 
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