So I'm not totally sure where I should post this thread, but my PH is 8.2. I've heard different opinions about PH. Some people say you should lower it with some sort of product or plants, and others say fish will adapt to it. What is your opinion? Thanks!
Although your fish can adapt to it, I would probably lower it naturally (NOT chemically...blah). Using driftwood, peat moss or IAL to leak tannins into the water is also beneficial in other ways, as long as you are controlling the amounts as much as possible. :)
Although your fish can adapt to it, I would probably lower it naturally (NOT chemically...blah). Using driftwood, peat moss or IAL to leak tannins into the water is also beneficial in other ways, as long as you are controlling the amounts as much as possible. :)
I might try driftwood, I wanted to add that anyway. But would that make the PH unstable? I mean when I do a water change, the water from the tap will be different from the water in the tank.
If you do decide to use a method of lowering it, you can prep your water by leaving it in a bucket with driftwood/IAL etc, or you can do more smaller water changes. :) Driftwood is also the least dramatic of the three options, so shouldn't change it that much.
I have a few gallons of conditioned water that have a few IALs stuck in there. If your tanks are cycled and heavily planted like mine, you only have to add water when it's evaporated or just once in a while. It shouldn't be that high of a percentage as to make it very unstable.
While my fish seem ok, our tap water is super high ph too and I started out with 7 bettas. 2 died mysteriously and one went blind mysteriously. Is it the high ph making things harder, or my inexperience when I got them? Could be either or both.
I did read on several websites that high ph and water hardness stays more stable yet some think it makes any problem with ammonia or other things much worse. Not sure if that's true but I just use IALs, lots of plants, driftwood, and peat granules.
Having said that I am glad I am moving because the water is supposed to be getting even worse because the city isn't going to treat the water even as much as it currently does. :/ Poor pet fishies!
Mursey is right about high pH making ammonia worse. At least more ammonia exists as free-ammonia in high pH. If you're properly cycled, this should be a moot point. There's a chart around, if you're interested.
What is your sourcewater pH? As long as your sourcewater pH is within 0.8ppm of your final tank pH, your weekly 50% water change will not cause too extreme of a pH change. For me, that is a more important consideration than absolute pH.
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