[koebwil]

I have been testing the PH in 2 of my tanks for a while and they both have a PH of about 7.5-8. They both are filtered through peat, they both are heavily planted and they both have lots of driftwood in them. They are both blackwater at the moment. One has ecocomplete substrate over peat and the other has inert gravel substrate. I had a tiger barb in the larger tank die last night so I have decided I need to figure this out. my tap water is 7.0 and that is what I use for top ups and water changes.
why? Why? WHY?:angryfire

 

[OverStocked]

Take a glass of tap water and let it set out for 24 hours and test the pH then?

What is your Gh and KH? I'm guessing rather high, so peat will basically do nothing to it.

 

[koebwil]

ok, the water after 24 hours is 7.5PH, the kh in the tanks is 9, and the kh of my tap water is 14. so, I guess I should get an RO unit?

 

[happi]

ok, the water after 24 hours is 7.5PH, the kh in the tanks is 9, and the kh of my tap water is 14. so, I guess I should get an RO unit?

eco have tendency to raise gh/kh/ph.

 

[koebwil]

but the other tank is inert gravel, and I think the kh problem is from my tap anyway. Regardless I just want a solution here. Should I buy an RO unit or is there some other option (aside from buying RO water)?

 

[jrman83]

If your Tiger Barb had been in the tank a while I doubt any of this had to do with its death.

 

[willknowitall]

take a gh kh reading from your tap water
i wouldnt be concerned about a ph of 7.5 from the tap
if my tap was gh 9 and kh 14 i would get a ro unit

 

[cdwill]

Are the test kits you're using to determine pH/GH/KH calibrated?

Are you adding CO2? Using what method?

 

[koebwil]

I am adding no co2, I calibrate the kits with a little bit of RO water that I got from the supermarket. The water comes out of the tap at GH 15 KH 14 and PH7.5. I purchased an RO system and I will wait until I have it before I do any water changes, I will then do 10% water changes every day until I can get the gh to 3 or 4. does this sound like a good plan?

 

[koebwil]

If your Tiger Barb had been in the tank a while I doubt any of this had to do with its death.

I recently did a water change, first in about 2 months. I plan to do them more often once I get this RO system

 

[somewhatshocked]

eco have tendency to raise gh/kh/ph.

Eco-Complete is inert.

CaribSea has said as much on a number of occasions. Doesn't do much, if anything, to water parameters.