I just set up this tank a couple weeks ago for some tetras while I redo my big tank. Most of my plants are doing fantastic (growing like weeds lol) couple died but for the most part they're doing good. Got a few snails i dont want, and im not super stoked about the black algae. I'll deal with those issues later. My ph is almost 8 though. Any advice would be appreciated.
Posted by Appropriate-Wheel-68
8 Comments
>my pH is almost 8
why do you want to lower it
Driftwood and Indian almond leaves but both with leach tannins
Adjusting ph every time you do a water change is a big chore and dangerous to your fish if you’re inconsistent. Either come up with a consistent system (use RO water or something) or leave it how it is. A lot of fish, especially ones you get locally, are fine with 8ish pH
I agree with the other commentor about not chasing parameters, unless you’re dealing with fish that specifically prefer acidic water then you’re better off going for consistency
Worth noting that my tap water is about the same as yours (I even have the same tank I think, that looks like a fluval flex 15), after a few months the ph naturally lowered from 7.9 to about 7.4ish just from the driftwood
What species are you planning to keep?
Don’t, would be my advice. Buying fish that suit the water you have is far easier than altering the water to suit the fish. You can fiddle with it, but it’s finicky, requires constant maintenance, and is best done by buying an RO unit and cutting your high-pH water with it.
You can try tannins, but if we’re talking about the normal kind of pH 8 water (i.e. high-TDS liquid rock), they won’t help much. If you’re very attached to your tetras, reef stores sell RODI water. If your tank is a Fluval Bootleg Microwave like it looks to be, it’s low enough in volume that you can justify buying some RODI for it.
It will go down over time. PH 8 is not particularly high; it will decrease once your tank ages.
I had this problem, couldn’t for the life of me get the ph and hardness down and still can’t to this day, so instead of fighting it I got fish that do well with the parameters I have
Don’t chase ph. Typically not really worth it and 9 times out of 10 fish won’t have any issue with it. The important part is controlling the ammonia as it’s more dangerous at higher ph levels. But that doesn’t mean panic and change your water every day. You want to chase stability. Good filtration, Good maintenance = stability