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I plan on setting up a small tank with a pair of apistos in it. My main problem is that my tap water has a pretty high ph, about 7.4 and Ive read that a ph that high isnt very good for them since they're delicate fish and greatly prefer a lower ph and soft water. Is there a way to condition my water without chemicals? Would using peat as a filtering substance help lower ph and/ or soften my water? i'd really rather not spend 100 dollars on a reverse osmosis filter...

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Back in the saddle!

Your pH isn't that high, and bolivian rams cackatoo apistos and borellis all are OK with pH's like yours. Also, if your KH is low, driftwood will drop your pH to, most likely, below 7 depending upon how much wood you add.

Eric

In answer to your question about peat. Yes it will help lower your ph. It's the same concept as using driftwood but I think it is much more effective. The only problem in using peat is that it releases tannins into the water which will change it to a tea color. If you can handle that then I would use peat as it is almost guaranteed to work. Some types of driftwood release very little tanins and are not as effective.

pH doesn't matter THAT much. Even the most sensitive apistos can be adjusted to 7.5+ pH.

i understand that the ph as is wouldnt be traumatic to the fish, i'm just thinking about long term health, breeding etc. and as for the tea colored water, i'm ok with it - kinda like it, actually - but is it ok for the fish? i imagine it would be since they're from black water areas, correct?

and for the driftwood, that ph would eventually go back up again with subsequent water changes so that doesnt seem like a long term solution.

what everyone seems to be saying though is that ph doesnt seem to be that huge of a factor in caring for these fish. is there anything else that is, then? figuring out how to sustain proper water conditions without fluctuating has been my main concern in planning out this tank. (water conditions besides ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, that is...)

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Back in the saddle!

Personally, I think GH and KH are more important than a pH like yours which is close to normal...and for the fish I listed your pH is normal.

As for driftwood, some kinds release little tannin, others a lot, and it can last for years releasing tannins if you have any plecos (indluding otos) in the tank who will rasp on the wood from time to time.

I've had driftwood in my tank at various times, sometimes the same pieces for 3-4 years, and my pH stays lower even though our city water has a minimum pH of 7.8 (range per city report 7.8 to 8.8). Oh, and if you get a good piece of driftwood that really releases tannins, it also stains your water a bit.

If you go with peat, which also works well, be sure and get peat without chemicals on it so you don't kill your fish - so go with petstore peat of plant store peat labelled chemical free...

Eric

Personally, I think GH and KH are more important than a pH like yours which is close to normal...and for the fish I listed your pH is normal.

Peat will also help soften water too, correct? I read somewhere that it will lower KH but not GH - or vice versa

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Back in the saddle!

Peat definitely will lower pH. I do think it lowers KH somehow, but I'm not positive on that aspect.

Eric