7 replies to this topic

[Ashley]

i was told by a "fish shop" that i need to bring the pH down so i have been buying the pH down stuff. i was wondering if there is a cheaper or more natural way of bringing it down...

[mrseby]

yep sure is

Try some driftwood in your tank.. this will also make a nice display..and keep your ph down.

Probs with this is that it will stain your water so don't put to much in a little at a time and keep tabs on the ph.

What sort of fish do you have that need a lower ph.?

or maybe you have to many shells or shellgrit in your tank

let us know a little more of your tank and fish first

[Ashley]

hi

Yer i have already tried drift wood but after a while the color was to much to handle.I live beach front so we must have salt etc in our water both bore and normal water. It makes it hard because when there is so many other items that have to be purchase to maintain breeding, buying a tub of Ph down ever 2 weeks or so is an expensive essential. I only have "simple cichlids" that i am trying to breed at the moment and some display tanks. You can see them on my home page.

[UncleGuts]

Hi

Try some Peat in your filter, I think that you can get this from the online shops. They come in special bags I believe that prevent leaching into the water.

Justin

[chuckmeister]

Its a bit hard to help answer your question with very little information. I notice a couple of americans but what fish do you have. Simple cichlids doesn't really say much. Your substrate might be buffering your tanks. If you use something like aragonite your ph will always be high. What are your ph readings. How much do you need to bring it down. Wood is an effective way of buffering your ph lower. Some people use peat moss in the filter to lower ph as well. Depends on what your trying to achieve. You may have coral in your filters etc...

[Ashley]

OK

-convicts
-red devils
-green acaras
-PS Lombardi's
-Butterkofferie
-Red forest jewels
-red top zebras
-salmon tails
-bristle nose

substrate
ex pet shop gravel, so brown gravel and some colored stuff mixed. i also have some of the Kimberly gravel i think u call it. i was actually going to purchase some new gravel tomorrow.

Filters
i have nearly all of my tanks running from a large air pump, so i have all new under gravel filters. i have also power head filters(at-mans) but choose not to use them to keep the power consumption down.

i don't actually have a pH a recent pH reading but i know it was of the chart when i did tests lately..

[horrorhead]

ash you need help. off the scale.....high or low?
also not a good combo of fish ie south americans and africans.
sort your fish out as both wont be happy at the same time.

[oo fish styx oo]

Ash

The brown gravel from a pet shop will also buffer your water to higher ph. I've had this information from Terry, and also tested it myself.

Cheers

Colleen