How Do I: lower ph without chemicals

deathtroll · March 28th, 2009

hi I'm new to the forum here. but have been keeping fish for awhile. does anybody know how to safely lower the pH without using chemicals. I don't want to have to add any more chemicals to my tanks. I am out of testing solution for high range ph so I'm not sure what exactly my current levels are. and the local LFS don't carry test for high ph. I do know that my tap waters ph is 9.9 where the city test it

agabr123 · March 28th, 2009

hi and welcome!

the easiest way to lower pH is to add a piece of driftwood into your tank. it will release tannins which will give the water a bit of a tea color, but they're completely harmless and i actually like the way that they look

deathtroll · March 28th, 2009

thanks for the quick reply this is the first time I have had to lower my ph would driftwood lower the ph to low in my african umbuna tank and is this the right way to prep drift wood from a local stream. soak, scrub, boil, soak

agabr123 · March 28th, 2009

no problem

lol, yeah basically. i'd boil it for quite a while if you're getting it from a stream, or you can put it in the oven for a few hours

aquarist48 · March 28th, 2009

Carbon in your filter will remove the brown tint from the tank once you've added the drift wood.

Lucy · March 28th, 2009

Welcome to Fish Lore

You might fins this thread of use:
Changing your pH

Good luck.

deathtroll · March 28th, 2009

thanks everyone for the help.
so driftwood would be the best way is their any other way

MrWaxhead · March 28th, 2009

Peat moss in your filter will work too, you can put some in a nylon and put it in your filter. I have also in the past added peat moss plates under my substrate and that worked well too but I had to put it in and cover with substrate and put a rock over it while it water logged as it wanted to float hehe. I currently have 3 filters on my 50g two are being used as filters and one is a AC 70 and its not using foam or bio media at all, its full of peat in a nylon.

Red1313 · March 28th, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrWaxhead

Peat moss in your filter will work too, you can put some in a nylon and put it in your filter. I have also in the past added peat moss plates under my substrate and that worked well too but I had to put it in and cover with substrate and put a rock over it while it water logged as it wanted to float hehe. I currently have 3 filters on my 50g two are being used as filters and one is a AC 70 and its not using foam or bio media at all, its full of peat in a nylon.

Hmmm I like the idea of an extra filter just for the peat... will keep this in mind for the future

agabr123 · March 29th, 2009

oh, and for the driftwood if you get it from a local lake or river or something, you'll want to make sure it's not sap. i know there's a good reason for this, but i'm a bit sleep deprived at the moment and can't remember other than it will leach into your tank

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