Vjarn Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 hey, just wandering if you could use vinegar to lower ph in a disus tank, i worked it out as 10ml of cider vinegar (what i had in a house) in a 9litre bucket of tap water will bring tap water pH=7 to pH=6. what do you guys think? dangerous? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 I wouldnt use it. To many other factors to consider like what is in vinegar that may harm the fish. Try using peat in your filter to lower pH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 It would only work short term then the pH would rise again (I seem to remember reading that somewhere) - often too rapidly for the fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vjarn Posted March 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 hi, thanks for replying but whats peat and where can i get it from. is it cheap? cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserole Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 peat can be found at a garden center , but why do you want to lower your ph discus are quit happy at 7 ph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 Yeah, I'd suggest just leaving it at 7. Sure, lower may be a tiny bit better, but they certainly won't be unhappy and they'll be better off with a little higher PH than having an owner that's sick of it taking too much work to keep it there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vjarn Posted March 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 yeah, i used to keep them in pH7 and there colours and growth rate wasnt too good. i noticed since i changed the tank and put them in by themselves with pH6-6.5, there colours are really showing strong and they look much happier cause they really stretch the fins out and they look so beautiful. although it maybe because they are by themselves now. i guess i'll keep them at pH7 for a time and see how they go and if they look a bit down then i guess its peat time. cheers everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 I use about 50% rain water when doing my water changes to 'soften' the water and lower PH, I find it is a lot easier to keep constant that adding 'stuff' that you might forget, over/under dose, or runs outs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MADDOG Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 I have the same trouble. You can add Sodium Biphosphate to keep alkaline down or Sodium Biocarbonate to keep acid down. You can Get these from your pet shop.Aqua Master ph down or Aqua Master ph up. Only trouble is the price these days. ( Might try your Vinegar ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke* Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 Discus prefer to be by themselves, and like said, prefer constant pH than a fluctuating one. Think of it as humidity, if you went to Thailand for a month you'd get use to it, if you went back and forth every day or two it'd stress you out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kim Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 what gravel do you have in the tank? brightwater will lower you ph nicely for discus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kim Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 oh and its cheep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vjarn Posted March 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 hi, kim whats bright water? hey maddog, i thought sodium bicarbonate raises your ph? isnt that baking soda? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kim Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 brightwater is a gravel.........its dark gray in colour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 Yep baking soda etc raises your PH making it less acidic. Also I'm interested to hear what 'brightwater' is? It's seems surprising to me that any gravel (I assume this is what it is) would lower PH, normally anything gravel puts into water is some sort of mineral, which increases the KH making the water harder and raising the PH. This is why I use rain water, because as it evaperates it leaves behind all the minerals making rain water softer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke* Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 Vjarn, MADDOG mentions both sodium bicarbonate (baking soda, to increase pH) and sodium biphosphate (to reduce pH). Just thought i'd clarify Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 Why is the gravel called brightwater? Is it from Brightwater in Nelson? Just thought I'd ask cause if it is I would go and get some next time I'm there Cheers Jude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vjarn Posted March 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 oh, thanks for clarifying :oops: any one since its a phosphate wont that make water soft? if any wants to make water soft then soap or detergent or washing powder is a good way to go. if you have a garden its best have your washing maching drain into a big drum and water your garden with it. i my self have never measured water hardness in my tank but if you put a pinch of washing powder or a drop of dishwashing liquid in a bucket of tap water you can measure the hardness and then calculate how much you need for you tank. not sure what makes water hard if i can remember then it may be the lever of salinity (salts) not table salt but solute particles. but this is theory till a know for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 Vjarn said: i my self have never measured water hardness in my tank but if you put a pinch of washing powder or a drop of dishwashing liquid in a bucket of tap water you can measure the hardness and then calculate how much you need for you tank. Hopefully nobody will take this too seriously, nor the addition of vinegar Peat Moss is the recommended way to lower the ph and soften the water. Other methods just act as a temporary buffer, that needs regular replacement. Some logs and driftwood will also lower the pH without resorting to chemicals. Oyster shell or Bird Grit will increase the pH, and in both instances it does it "slowly" without sudden changes to the water conditions. "Here fishy fishy..... Bath time"... Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MADDOG Posted March 5, 2005 Report Share Posted March 5, 2005 Sodium Biocarbonate does raise the PH and keeps acid down --- read my post properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted March 5, 2005 Report Share Posted March 5, 2005 Wont phosphate cause algae problems? Doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Stick to peat moss, it cheap and proven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted March 6, 2005 Report Share Posted March 6, 2005 What's wrong with chemicals? After all, adding logs, gravel, peat or whatever you use to modify the pH adds chemicals to the water anyway. It's just a little more gradual... If you devise a method for adding the correct chemicals at regular intervals there's absolutely no reason not to use them. I use Sodium bicarbonate, Calcium Chloride, Magnesium sulphate and Potassium sulphate to raise pH and raise general hardness. I use Sulphuric acid to lower pH. I almost never have to lower pH as the natural trend in a closed system is for the pH to drop due to nitrogen products combining with the water. I use a dosing pump to regularly add the pH lowering chemicals above with no problems at all. The main reason is I run a dH and kH less than 1 so regular dosing is required to keep pH stable. The only reason I add hardening chemicals at all is to stop the CO2 injection lower the pH too far (use RO water only for water changes…) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted March 6, 2005 Report Share Posted March 6, 2005 Wont phosphate cause algae problems? Doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Stick to peat moss, it cheap and proven Yes!! Watch out for any product containing phosphate buffers. If it doesn't say what's in it avoid it unless you can find out what it is... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted March 6, 2005 Report Share Posted March 6, 2005 I use Sulphuric acid to raise pH. Huh? How's that work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted March 6, 2005 Report Share Posted March 6, 2005 Oops, lower pH... :oops: Previous post now edited... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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