Lowering PH

[Blackheart]

My PH is at 7.6... isn't that kind of high?

Far as I know my tank water is really hard, too. Do these 2 things go hand and hand? And how can I lower them both?

[binbin9]

Just depends on what you want to keep in the tank. Some inverts prefer higher PH. Most plants prefer a more neutral to acidic level.

There's a ton of info on this forum about water hardness and PH. In actuality high PH and KH are related.

To lower PH:

1. Use an RO unit
2. Use a substrate like aquasoil or fluval to lower the PH
3. Use Peat to run through your filter. It will strip away KH and lower your PH
4. Use CO2 to lower ph
5. Humic acids will also work

However if you have a high KH content most of the time your PH will just bounce back.

[GeToChKn]

Unless you are keeping something that HAS to have a lower pH, don't fret. Most plants, fish, etc, will do fine in a variety of water and stable water is much more important than messing with chemicals or mixing stuff or trying to match it all the time.

[Blackheart]

Ahh okay thanks guys! btw how about freshwater shrimp? cherry shrimp, or amano shrimp.

[GeToChKn]

Cherries would be fine with that or amanos. It's the crystals and tigers that a bit more picky about there water.

[Xalyx]

Originally Posted by binbin9

Just depends on what you want to keep in the tank. Some inverts prefer higher PH. Most plants prefer a more neutral to acidic level.

There's a ton of info on this forum about water hardness and PH. In actuality high PH and KH are related.

To lower PH:

1. Use an RO unit
2. Use a substrate like aquasoil or fluval to lower the PH
3. Use Peat to run through your filter. It will strip away KH and lower your PH
4. Use CO2 to lower ph
5. Humic acids will also work

However if you have a high KH content most of the time your PH will just bounce back.

Can you elaborate on that? Use Peat Moss? Could you explain in more detail?

[AmazonPassion]

Originally Posted by Blackheart

Ahh okay thanks guys! btw how about freshwater shrimp? cherry shrimp, or amano shrimp.

I have Blue Velvet shrimp tank and breeding like crazy with a pH of 8

[Darkblade48]

Originally Posted by Xalyx

Can you elaborate on that? Use Peat Moss? Could you explain in more detail?

Peat releases tannic and humic acids that will lower pH.

[Blackheart]

I had recently also tried Tetra easy balance plus.... or something like that?

Supposedly it's supposed to lower the PH. I really regret using it. Because not only did it not work, but it also has made my water extremely cloudy.

[GeToChKn]

Peat is great at lowering pH and kH BUT it is unpredictable. You can run water through 10 different times and get 10 different reading. I did extensive work playing with peat and could get hard 8pH/8kH/8gH/200 TDS water down to 4pH/0kH/1gH/30 TDS but that's insanely low. Best bet, leave it where it is and most plants/fish will do fine in it.