PH adjustments

[newworldan06]

How can i lower my PH? I have a 30 gal S.A tank with plants. I cant put the buffer in because of the plants. Can i put PH down in? or what would any of you recommend. I want to breed Apistos.


Thanks

 

[cootwarm]

Peat water works great for me. I use Matts method of dumping a 5 gallon bucket of peat moss into a plastic 30 gallon trash barrel and filling the rest with water. Let it mix for a couple days with an airstone at which time the pH is down to 4.5 and almost no hardness at all. If you have very hard water you might have to use R/O water in the mix.

Michael

 

[Leipo]

At the moment I am using oakleaf extract (sp.?) to bring my KH down from 8 to 3 which also lowers my PH.

 

[newworldan06]

Matt's Method??

 

[cootwarm]

Yup. It's the way Matt (farm41) told me he mixes his peat water.

30 gallon plastic barrel
add 5 gallon bucket of Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss
fill with water
aerate for a couple days

This removes most all the hardness and gets me pH about 4.5. I then mix it with treated and aged tap water to achieve the desired pH and hardness measurements.

Any peat particles settle out after a day or 2. You could remove some of the particles by filtering it through cheese cloth before adding to the tank. It's not too bad so I usually let it settle to the bottom of the tank and after a couple days I then vacuum it off the gravel. The particles are very light so they easily vacuum up.

Once the particles settle out, the water is very clear with a slight yellow tint to it.

Michael

 

[newworldan06]

So would i do just a regular water change? but instead of adding my tap water i add the peat water?


And the dramastic PH change wont affect my aggies at all?

Last ? How much will it soften my water, because i want a low ph and soft water to breed them.



Thanks a lot

 

[farm41]

When I use this method, I do 25% water changes. I think the fish that are from a low Ph enjoy the change.

The A. miua I have recently got, would hide all the time, until I started using the peat tea, now they are out in the open. Might not be the Ph, but certainly could be the color of the water adding some comfort to them.

 

[newworldan06]

OK, cool I have a couple more questions.

-What do i do with all the left over peat water? Just let it sit and aeriate until next use?

-What is the the best, filtering out the peat before you put it in or just vacuming some of the particles?(but what about the places i cant reach will it be ok)

-Do i put it in with every water change? or put it in like every other water change?

-Do i need to put water conditioner into it?

-Should i mix with tap water and then put in tank or just dump it in and it will equal out.

-Will the dramastic PH change affect my aggies.


thanks

 

[farm41]

I keep the air going and use it 3 times a week, and I don't care about the peat particles that get into the tank, and I am just guessing, but I don't think the fish care either.

I use it every water change, just adjust the ratio of peat tea to RO and tap to get the desired results. If your tap has chemicals in it then you should condition it properly. I am not an expert on municipal water though, I am on well water.

 

[newworldan06]

Ok thank you

Just to clarify so i understand it correctly. I mix the peat with my tap before dumping it into my tank correct?

 

[cootwarm]

Yes. In the begining you would use straight peat water. After 2 or 3 (or more) water changes, when you achieve the desired pH and hardness values, you will want to mix in tap water to maintain those values. If you were to continue using just peat water, you tank would end up with the same pH as your peat water. In my case this is about 4.5.

This might also be dependant on the starting values of your tap water. I'm not sure, but if you have very hard and alkaline water, this might restrict the effect of the peat. I only have experience with my tap water which is neural and soft (pH 7.3; GH 8; KH 5). After 2 days of peat treatment my values are pH 4.5; GH 4; KH 1 or 2. I expect that I need to add some R/O water to lower the hardness values any further, but I haven't tried that yet.

I don't know if there is any formula to calculate your mix ratio, but I learned mine through experience. I use 90% peat water to 10% tap to get a pH of 5.0 and I mix 1/3 tap water to 2/3 peat water to get pH between 6.0 and 6.5.

I keep my Cardinal Tetras, Oto cats, Nannostomus beckfordi, and Apistogramma viejita in a tank with pH 4.8, GH 4, and KH 2.

My borellii and cacatuoides are in tap water (pH 7.3, GH 8, KH 4).
My trifasciata are in a tank with a mix to get pH 6.0.

Michael