Ideal Betta Conditions??

[MN_Aquarist]

I'm going to be receiving a Betta in a couple weeks, and I have a 5 gallon cycling for it right now. It's been around 7 years since I last had a Betta, and I'm really not sure what parameters are ideal anymore. I know softer water, lower PH, and warmer temps are the big ones.

Also what is a natural way to soften hard water and bring down the PH?

PH: 7.7
KH/GH: 8*/17.9ppm

Ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates are all 0ppm.

This Betta has been living in R.O. water for the last year or so. Will the sudden hike in PH cause him too much stress?

 

[Fishfanboy]

Drift wood makes the water softer

 

[JessiNoel21]

Driftwood and almond leaves mine preferred the driftwood though so I would say just a piece with no sharp or pointy ends. Mine loved the tank at 82F and java fern to sleep in.

 

[JessiNoel21]

My RO water was 7.0 and all my fish did fine in it

 

[MN_Aquarist]

Yes I know about the driftwood, but the issue is my PH is high because of my Carbonate hardness and not my general hardness. There are too many minerals buffering the acid to allow for any drop in PH. Would there be a way to lower the KH so I can actually budge the PH down some?

And regarding the R.O. water, I don't have R.O. water, so that's why I asked if a jump from 7.0 to 7.7 would be too much or will I have to mix pure with tap until he gets used to the alkalinity?

 

[JessiNoel21]

You could always buy a Pur water filter that should help with the KH. If you do a long accumulation on him he should be fine with the ph. Plus you could buy a water treatment bucket(5 gallon) and put a piece of driftwood with a heater and air stone in it and take water from it to do water changes.

 

[MN_Aquarist]

Could I dilute my tank with R.O. water to bring it closer to 7.0 so it isn't so much of a PH shock?

 

[Coursair]

I use part tap/part distilled to lower PH and TDS in my Shrimp tanks. Just don't use pure RO or Distilled...that's a bit too pure.

Or if you do use straight RO, add remineralize product like Equilibrium ( I think that's the name ?)

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