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Ph question

SKAVENCLOWNLOACH

New Member
Messages
8
I have a tank 29g tank with few beckfords pencilfish in and want to get it ready for a pair of apistos.

Im still deciding what species but my lfs has some nice agassizii double red. I read online that agassizii and most apistos like ph 6-6.5 plus my pencils will most likely like that to.



My tank water is
Ph 7.8
Kh4
Gh3

My tap water is
Ph 8.2
Kh2
Gh2

When I first started the tank I put crushed coral in the tank that is still in there and makes my driftwood and catappa leaves useless in lowering the ph.

If I remove the crushed coral and with the next couple of water changes will my ph crash?

How do you lower your ph and have it stable?

Is there a way to slowly lower it so I dont kill my pencilfish?



Any advice appreciated!
 

SKAVENCLOWNLOACH

New Member
Messages
8
Remove the crushed coral substrate. Do not worry about a pH crash. Your tap water is very similar to mine. The pH 8.2 is due to the water company adding a base, probably NaOH, to prevent water line corrosion. These bases dissipate quickly but the pH drop is not too radical for softwater fish to handle.
Will do , thank you
 

dw1305

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
2,755
Location
Wiltshire UK
Hi all,
Listen to Mike (always) and just ignore what you read about "pH crashes" on forums or are told by LFS etc.

The problem is that pH is both a ratio and log10 scale and the whole area of pH and buffering isn't straight forward, even for scientists who work with fresh water.

How do you lower your ph and have it stable?
There is an explanation in the <"linked thread">, but you won't have stable pH in low dKH water, it isn't stable in your tank and it isn't stable in nature, and <"it doesn't matter">.

cheers Darrel
 

SKAVENCLOWNLOACH

New Member
Messages
8
Hi all,
Listen to Mike (always) and just ignore what you read about "pH crashes" on forums or are told by LFS etc.

The problem is that pH is both a ratio and log10 scale and the whole area of pH and buffering isn't straight forward, even for scientists who work with fresh water.


There is an explanation in the <"linked thread">, but you won't have stable pH in low dKH water, it isn't stable in your tank and it isn't stable in nature, and <"it doesn't matter">.

cheers Darrel
Thank you very informative read.
 

dw1305

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
2,755
Location
Wiltshire UK
Hi all,
Thank you very informative read.
You are good. I've got a bit of a jaundiced view of the sellers of <"pH buffers" etc."> They know that the only thing their products do is transfer your money to them, but they keep on selling them.

Apologies because it is a bit of a rant, but you may be interested in <"this thread on UKAPS">

cheers Darrel
 

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