After CO2 injection will pH swing during water change?

[dapellegrini]

I am about to install a CO2 system on my aquarium and once I have it up and running correctly am expecting it to take my pH down to around 7.0 from ~ 7.8. As I am studying up on all of this, I am curious to know how others deal with this potential large swing in pH during water changes....

I am in the process of transforming an 8-year old community tank into a planted aquarium.

Thanks in adavance!


The setup:
72g Bowfront - 4x 54w T5 lights - Laterate Substrate - Rena XP3 Canister Filter - 300w inline heater - and coming soon: automated milwaukee C02 system, w/ Reactor, etc.

Fish:
1x Rainbow Shark - 6x Clown Loaches - 1x Opaline Gourami - 6x Neons - 4x Rummynose - 1x kuhli loach - 1x cory cat - 1x common Pleco - (trying to find 4x SAEs)

Plants:
1x Amazon Sword - 1x Melon Sword - Lots of Jungle Val - 1x Java Fern - Glossostigma - Dwarf Hairgrass - 1x Crytocoryne wendtil - 1x Red Crinkle Leaf - Lots of Red Rubin - 3x Balansae

 

[rich311k]

It will not matter, As long as the KH stays steady your fish will be fine. Fish don't mind PH swings from CO2, they are much more sensative to KH swings.

 

[mr funktastic]

i dont worry about i. my ph from the tap is about 8 and my co2 runs so high it drops my ph to about 6.5. i do 50% water changes with no ill effects on the fish. that isnt a very large ph swing so i wouldnt worry.

 

[CaptnIgnit]

Same here, my tap pH is about 7.6 and it drops to ~6.9 after a water change. My KH also drops to about 4 after a 50% water change (normally is 6) and I don't notice any ill effects.

I do 50% rarely though, I'd be much more concerned if you are changing the KH by large amounts frequently.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

ph swings due to CO2 doesn't hurt fish. It's the ph swings due to a swinging kh that hurts the fish. My tap is 7.4-7.6 and I drive mine down to 6.4, and do 50%+ PWC's, and the fish love it....

 

[maxwell1295]

I have to buffer my water with baking soda or I would see regular pH crashes. Tap is 6.4 and ~0dKH. I try to keep KH at around 5-6 dKH to stabilize my pH. By doing that, I add enough baking soda to raise pH to about 7.2, but the CO2 lowers that to about 6.8 or so. I know exactly how much to add during my weekly 50% PWC.

 

[dapellegrini]

My tap water is pH ~7.8 and the kH is 6, so sounds like things should work out just fine.

Thanks for all of the feedback!