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Hi everyone

I have not long ago moved house and the water is really different here in my new home.
Anyway after cycling my tank after the big move I tested my water and got a shock, my PH was at 8.2 and GH 286 ppm & KH 214ppm.
I have been slowly using PH down, but because my GH is so high it will not remain steady.
I went to the local fish shop and they said there was no way of reducing the GH except for putting Peat Moss into my tank water. I am scared of all of the fertilisers that could be in the Peat purchased from garden centres.
Please could anyone suggest a way in which I can reduce my GH & achieve a lower/stable PH.
I have mollies, guppies & silver dollars in my tank at the moment.


Last edited by AUSSIEGRRL at 10-Jan-2005 06:05

Step one. Toss the PH chemicals. They are only buffers and after gas exchange your PH will return back to it's original numbers.

Your PH is fine for the Trops that you are keeping. They will be happier to have a steady PH rather than a perfect unstable 7.0.

With your PH I wouldn't try any of the SA fish that need lower PHs. But like I said the ones you have are fine.

You could convert to African cichlids too.

Peat will lower the hardness and the PH of your water. Do not use the peat from garden center. Your LFS should sell granulated peat pellets made by Fluval near the filter stuff. If not ask for it. Just know it will turn your water a tea color.

Shannen has provided the correct and acceptable information for you...

Since he learned everything he knows about tropicals from me, you can bet the information is accurate.

Trops do indeed adjust to pH levels if the levels are changed slowly. Acclimating new trops to your tank would probably take an hour depending on the pH values of the fish store water.

A pH value of 9.0 would be the max for most trops to tolerate, so anything below that would be fine.

Shannen knows that chemically adjusting tank water pH is
a rather dangerous thing to do and should be avoided.

Some may prefer using peat in their filters to soften water a bit, but in my opinion it's really not worth the effort.

--garyroland.

*gives Gary the credit he deserves*

Indeed Gary has taught me a LOT about PH and Trops.

BTW: IME the adding of peat to VERY hard water is of little use. It's effects will be minimal.

Edit: BTW Welcome to the site...

Last edited by Booger at 10-Jan-2005 10:33

Thankyou very much Shannen & Gary for helping me out. It is very much appreciated. I feel a lot better now but will keep monitoring it.

I have much the same problem as the original poster, but I would really like to get angels. My pH is around 8.0. I already two angels die in my tank, but they had been in it for two weeks before they died. Ammonia and nitrite levels were very low, though. That is why I assume the pH killed them. Help.

Kid,

Ammonia and nitrite should be zero in a fully cycled tank. If they were not zero then it is more likely that the ammonia and nitrite killed the angels and not the pH of your water.

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

they were zero, and I still have other fish doing fine in the tank.

Sometimes Angels die...IME also they are not very hardy when young. If the tank is not aged then young angels are not a good idea. Especially black ones...for some reason.

I have only been able to keep alive one gold angel and I am a trooper when it comes to water quality for my Trops. I am tryaning an older FULL grown black viel right now. He doesn't seem to eat much but has lived for almost a month in my tank. I am guessing that full grown ones do not eat much...

Gary,
I know you have kept big ones. I wonder how much yours ate? Do tell please!