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Hello,

I have a 29 Gallon Freshwater Aquarium, and the Water Parameters are pH-7.4, KH-107.4ppm, GH-125.5, Ammonia-0.50ppm, Nitrite-0.25ppm, Nitrate-0ppm; I went to the pet shop today and I wanted pH down, and I use RO water from there and the sales cleck told me that I should trust in the water, But I want a pH of 7.0 to keep the broadest range of fish, So she got mad and said "you know what, Take it" and Sold it to me, and I feel kinda bad about it becasue I don't know what to do and I don't like to make people mad, Can anyone give me advice.

Welcome to FP
This is the best place to come for advice!

IMO i think a Ph of 7.4 is fine, however this does depend on what fish you are looking to keep.

How long have you had the tank running ?

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Truth doesn't always win friends but it influences them

Since I don't want to use a lot of chemicals in my tanks, I just deal with the water as it comes out of the tap... generally ranging between 7.2-7.6 in my area. I figure I buy the fish from the same water levels, why change them?

I can understand wanting to keep the levels the same, but don't those chemicals just change the pH temporarily then fade? I don't think they change the water permanently.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

i agree with carpe 7.4 is fine unless you are dealing with more sensity fish, but for the average fish i wouldnt worry about the 7.4ph.

as for the clerk being rude. just remember this you're the customer not and the customer "is always right" she is the one acting out of line. but i believe it comes from her trying to be a good sales person (in a bad way)meaning that she is trying to make you confident in the water so you keep buying it. but the reason its in a bad way is becuase she is neglecting the sale of another product. another thing is staff at fish stores think that they know everything when in fact many know nearly nothing. go ahead and get advice if you like but always get a second or third opinion. regardless of where the advice comes from

*click *flash *click "whered he go???"

I agree with Kitten in most place the pH levels are OK but here in Miami the pH is 8.9 to 9.3 out of the tap. So you sometimes need figure out something else. I use CO2 to control mine at 6.5. However zach is using RO water and RO water has had everything removed from it, the good and the bad elements. So it pure water nothing else, and fish need the trace elements and so do plants. Forget about the pH down you will kill yourself trying to maintain it at 7.0. Everyday you have to add until you get it down slowly than you have to maintain it. Kent sells a product that put back the good trace elements and will stabilize the water at the pH you want. then you just add to the new water you add when doing weekly PWC. Always be careful when you attempt to adjust your water take it slow, do it in a buckets that way if you make a mistake you don't have to start over in you tank.
Go to and read about this product: http://www.kentmarine.com/freshwater/conditioners/ro-right.htm

Don't worry about the sales clerk, go in talk to her buy something. Maybe she's have a bad day.

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

PH 7.4 is really fine for most of the fish. With Ammonia-0.50ppm, Nitrite-0.25ppm, Nitrate-0ppm, I presume that you're still cycling your tank. Would suggest to wait until the tank is cycled and decide what fish to keep in this tank. Again, there's not a big difference between PH 7.4 and 7.0. In most of the cases, trying to alter the PH of the water to match the exact requirement of the fish is not worth the effort, and could be risky.

Welcome to FP