sirdarksol

I agree that this probably isn't too big of an issue.
If you lived in my area, you'd have a bigger issue. My pH runs near 8, and I have extremely hard water (the two almost always run hand-in-hand, of course). I'm thinking of getting a rain barrel in order to be able to lower the pH in one of my tanks a bit, since I can't afford an RO unit.

Narcicius

Rain barrel? isnt wat is sounds like is it?

Dino

We use 1500 gallon cattle watering troughs to collect rainwater here.

Narcicius, I am located in McMinn county Tennessee, just 50 miles north of you.

Narcicius

so using rainwater is actually a good idea? I thought maybe an acid rain factor might make that dangerous.

Chief_waterchanger

The rain stays above 6.0 around our area.

The really extreme areas such as upper New York (where pollution from NYC blows into the area) get down into the 5s

Narcicius

I might need to look into it, you know collect a little and test it. Although won't adding a lower Ph water during changes cause stress to my fish?

Dino

Not if it is mixed with your tap water so that the pH is only lowered a small amount each change.

Narcicius

Cool I'll set out a milk jug or two next time it rains and test that water. Sad that it hasnt rained in a while where I live. Although it snowed a little earlier this week.

Blub

sirdarksol

That's precisely what we're talking about. Those of us who have hard water but want to keep acidic/softwater fish sometimes need a way to help our fish out. Rainwater would be excellent (at least during the spring and summer) to help soften water and bring it to a more neutral pH.

Narcicius

well I'll definitely see what the rainwater at my house is like, but from the sound of it I'll have to do something about my water as the Ph will most likely climb over time.