Bilbo Posted June 3, 2004 Report Share Posted June 3, 2004 Has anyone done pH tests on newly collected rain water? I am setting up a Dwarf Cichlid and Discus tank and collecting rain water but read that it may be as low as 4.5pH and often around 5 – 5.5 in NZ when ideally I think I need 6 or just under. Also what are the best pH test kits to get hold of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 3, 2004 Report Share Posted June 3, 2004 Ideally it should be 7. If you've got acid rain it'll be lower. My rainwater always is exactly 7 when I test it. It can drop fast though once you put it in the tank due to acids in the tank and no buffering capacity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajbroome Posted June 3, 2004 Report Share Posted June 3, 2004 Bilbo said... > Has anyone done pH tests on newly collected rain water? pH tests on pure rainwater are pretty much meaningless. Due to the fact that pure water has no buffering capacity, it'll shift pH at the drop of a hat - either up or down. Soft water fish tanks tend to be acidic (and can get down to very low pH very quickly) but are not necessarily best for the fish. Discus and many dwarf cichlids appreciate slightly acid water that isn't too hard but I would not use pure rainwater. Maybe a 50:50 mix with typical town water would be a good place to start. A little peat in the filter will tend to keep the pH down and may also help reduce the hardness. In most cases, good water quality is often more important that specific chemical attributes to most of the fish we keep. Andrew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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