I currently have a 15 gallon tank running on t5 lighting with just a filter cartridges( no carbon). My ph is currently around 7.6 according to the api test solution. I don't really know the names of the plants but I was wondering if the ph is good for the plants i Have now, but heres a pic any feedback would be nice.
the background plants were actually only planted for about a week, do you have any recommendations on lowering the ph naturally? thanks for getting back to me though
I agree with OVT. I wouldn't worry much at all about your PH, especially with it being where it is. Unless it were like, 9 or 5, your plants probably aren't going to have any problems at all.
In my experience, fighting your pH is a losing battle anyways.
To put your mind more at ease, the pH will naturally drop as your tank matures, especially if you have some driftwood. If your pH is ~7.6 out of the tap, don't be surprised if the pH in your tank settles around 6.8 - 7.0. When that happens, no need to worry about matching your pH during water changes either, just add water as usual.
thanks ovt! I've tried driftwood in the past but it turned my water brown. I did constant water changes but the color always came back. I soaked the driftwood in water for almost 2 months before putting it in the tank.
Boiling driftwood helps to remove tannins, but, I personally, like the look.
I keep my lights on for 12 hours - just a personal preference. A lot depends on what light you have, co2 or no co2, fertilization, circulation etc. Try what works for you best and adjust if you start seeing algae and/or poor plant growth.
A small comment: you might want to try a black or silver background on the tank. You can get the background film at any big store (Petco, PetSmart) or LFS and just use clear Scotch tape to fix it to the back of the tank. It will make your plants pop-out more and make the equipment less noticeable.
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