Low ph in new set up

[Wrona0306]

Hi everyone
I set up 180l planted tank yesterday and was water parameters and
Ph 6
Amonia 0.5
Nitrite 0
Nitrates 5
I was used prime and stability also seachem flourish only.
Water is little bit cloudy but i hope will clear till 2morrow but my real quastion is why ph is so low. Tap water ph 7 . Anyone anything lads

 

[Chanyi]

What is your substrate?

Do you have any driftwood, peat or anything else in the tank that will lower pH?

Do you know the KH of the tapwater and tankwater?

Set a glass of tapwater out for 24 hours and then test pH. This will give you a much more accurate pH reading. Tapwater pH readings straight from the tap are usually incorrect.

 

[Wrona0306]

I have boogwood ,tropica soil 9l in the background, decoration sand, lava rock.
Filter is oase 250 ubgreding with aquarium floss ,seachem matrix and seachem purigen.

 

[Chanyi]

The Tropica soil is lowering your KH thus lowering your pH.

Your wood is also lowering pH.

The soil is purpose made to do this. It is perfectly fine to use it the way you are using it.

Over time, it will lose it's ability to buffer KH thus pH and your tank water will return to your tapwater levels. The rate at which this happens depends on your source water's KH. The higher the KH, the faster it will lose the buffering ability.

 

[Wrona0306]

Thanks so i have to just wait
Do you know when ph pop up at list to 6.5 because low ph will slow my cycle.

 

[Chanyi]

Thanks so i have to just wait
Do you know when ph pop up at list to 6.5 because low ph will slow my cycle.

Your cycle will progress a little slower than usual, however it will still happen without issue. Ammonia at your pH will be mostly all in an ammonium form which is much less toxic.

Your substrates buffering ability will be shortened with large water changes, frequent water changes containing KH.

The higher the KH the faster the substrate will stop buffering.
The more water changes you do, the faster it will stop buffering.
The larger your water changes, the fast it will stop buffering.