Need to do water change but my tap water is super acidic

Hi! I am new to owning an aquarium, I have a 15 gallon that currently has ammonia 1 ppm and nitrite 0.5 ppm. I think I need to perform a water change, but my tap water seems like a bad option at the moment. My tank is already at a pH of 6.7 and my sink water is testing at 6.0 pH (may be even lower). I don’t have a pH adjustor on me. Can I use bottled water in the meantime until my tap water chills out? And should I buy a pH adjustor?

 

Does the ph in your tap increase if it sits?
Is this a public water system or well?
And do you have a water report that has a ph reading?
My well water has a ph of 5.4 and 0 KH. I could add a KH additive and probably create a stable ph but it can also be quite high in nitrates. So I now use an RO/DI system.
For now, yes, I would use bottled purified water.
Test the ph of every bottle as they can vary greatly.
And if the ph is fairly different, you may need to do small water changes; possibly a couple per day.
I gather you are doing a fish-in cycle?

 

Change that water. Any fluctuation in the PH is going to be the lesser evil when compared to the nitrite you are measuring.

 

• As LowConductivity said, those nitrite and ammonia levels are dangerous if there are fish in the tank. I assume there are, or are you doing a fishless cycle?
• What is the pH of the existing water in the tank, and what is its source?

 

Also, what species of fish are you keeping? Some would be happy in a pH that low.

 

Are you trying to cycle this tank? Was it cycled and then crashed? How long has it been set up?

Why do you think your tap water will "chill out"? Does it's pH normal change from time to time?

 

My tank is already at a pH of 6.7 and my sink water is testing at 6.0 pH (may be even lower).

That's less than 1.0 pH points difference. I don't even acclimate fish when the difference is that minor.

And should I buy a pH adjustor?

What do you mean by that? Chemicals from a bottle? Just going to give you more problems than it solves.

 

That's less than 1.0 pH points difference. I don't even acclimate fish when the difference is that minor.


What do you mean by that? Chemicals from a bottle? Just going to give you more problems than it solves.

If they are using the api kit to test, it only goes down to 6.0. So it could be lower.
My well was also testing at 6:0 but was actually 5.4.
Large water changes were definitely problematic.
But I’m also guessing that my well water was very low in O2.
Anyway, was trying to save the OP from having my experience of stressed and dead fish.

 

Anyway, was trying to save the OP from having my experience of stressed and dead fish.

Fine by me, I didn't (want to) contradict your statement with that.

Also a low pH switches Ammonia to barely toxic ammonium. So in this case actually a positive effect.

Something else to consider: Doing a waterchange with more acidic water does not mean the overall pH drops that much. Hardness and nitrogen compounds are measured on linear scales, pH is logarithmic, so it doesn't affect the parameters the same way.

 

Fine by me, I didn't (want to) contradict your statement with that.

Also a low pH switches Ammonia to barely toxic ammonium. So in this case actually a positive effect.

Something else to consider: Doing a waterchange with more acidic water does not mean the overall pH drops that much. Hardness and nitrogen compounds are measured on linear scales, pH is logarithmic, so it doesn't affect the parameters the same way.

That’s true.
I never did figure out what was causing my water issues. But switching the an RO/DI system solved them.
Hoping by the OP does not have any problems with their water changes.

 

Are you trying to cycle this tank? Was it cycled and then crashed? How long has it been set up?

Why do you think your tap water will "chill out"? Does it's pH normal change from time to time?

Apparently it does... Before I set up the tank the pH of my faucet water was 7.6. The fact it dropped to 6.6 when I set up and now something 6 or below just doesn’t sit well with me. I’m doing a fish-in-tank cycle and I would like to keep things as consistent as possible for them so that “drastic changes” is never a possible reason for any issues I will run into

Change that water. Any fluctuation in the PH is going to be the lesser evil when compared to the nitrite you are measuring.

Yeah I plan to change the water again today but I was wondering if it would be better to run out and get some distilled water. It’s a fish-in-cycle. I have been doing water changes and using prime to keep nitrite in the 0-0.25ppm range but the nitrite spikes honestly spikes every time I feed them. Ammonia has been low (nothing showing up) but I was away for the weekend and came back to much higher ammonia. Since the pH is low I thought it would be okay based on this chart which I saw on another thread here: http://www.ecofilms.com.au/aquaponics-health-understanding-ammonia-water-temperature-and-ph-balance/

 

Yeah I plan to change the water again today but I was wondering if it would be better to run out and get some distilled water.

While you could with distilled water you would shift all your water parameters. e.g. 50% waterchange with distilled would cut most concentrations aof things in half. Including GH and KH. And with KH of 1.5 the pH goes down even more.

Also you need big volume waterchanges, you will have to transport a lot and buy a lot. Take your perfectly fine tapwater. Really.

 

That’s true.
I never did figure out what was causing my water issues. But switching the an RO/DI system solved them.
Hoping by the OP does not have any problems with their water changes.

Fine by me, I didn't (want to) contradict your statement with that.

Also a low pH switches Ammonia to barely toxic ammonium. So in this case actually a positive effect.

Something else to consider: Doing a waterchange with more acidic water does not mean the overall pH drops that much. Hardness and nitrogen compounds are measured on linear scales, pH is logarithmic, so it doesn't affect the parameters the same way.

Yeah have done a few partial water changes anyways. Tank pH has gone down from 6.7 to 6.4 though. so I think my tap water might be lower than 6. That is the lower limit of the API test kit.

The ammonia spike was because I left for two days and wasn’t here to do consistent water changes. I also set the automatic feeder to feed 3x/day on accident. I also saw a chart which made me less concerned about the ammonia and since it should also be in ammonium form.

According to that chart I’m fine under 4 ppm ammonia. I’m still trying to get it lower because I don’t want them stressed, but thought it might be a problem to use my tap water when I can’t even really tell what the pH level. I don’t want to do a half tank water exchange and end up shocking them with a huge pH shift

 

You haven't said what fish you even have.

 

Does the ph in your tap increase if it sits?
Is this a public water system or well?
And do you have a water report that has a ph reading?
My well water has a ph of 5.4 and 0 KH. I could add a KH additive and probably create a stable ph but it can also be quite high in nitrates. So I now use an RO/DI system.
For now, yes, I would use bottled purified water.
Test the ph of every bottle as they can vary greatly.
And if the ph is fairly different, you may need to do small water changes; possibly a couple per day.
I gather you are doing a fish-in cycle?

I ended up doing an incremental water change over last night/throughout today with the water that sat out so I don’t know. The pH of my tank dropped from 6.7 to 6.4, ammonia/ammonium from 1 to somewhere 0.25-50, nitrite 0.0-0.25 ppm, nitrate 10ppm dropped to 5 ppm. so I’m thinking my tap water was more acidic than I thought. I was hoping maybe I can buy bottled water with basic pH to buffer it? There are a lot of online studies on brand name waters, so I have some brands picked out.

I have a spare “chemi-pure elite superior filtration media” carbon bagged filter I could add to the back of my tank filter? Would this help with my levels? it says it is for phosphate removal but the back label says it’s basically for everything. I was going to add it but couldn’t figure out how to jam it in the filter....

You haven't said what fish you even have.

4 male guppies. 6 tetra. 1 angel fish. I plan to get a larger tank and kuhli loaches for angel to live in. Do you happen to know if I could get another angelfish after this one has gotten bigger or will she end up needing to be a loner since she was raised this way. I don’t actually know if it’s a she btw. Still a baby, just shy of an inch long.

 

4 male guppies. 6 tetra. 1 angel fish. I plan to get a larger tank and kuhli loaches for angel to live in. Do you happen to know if I could get another angelfish after this one has gotten bigger or will she end up needing to be a loner since she was raised this way. I don’t actually know if it’s a she btw. Still a baby, just shy of an inch long.

I would think about the angel stocking at a later point. Honestly.
Your angel can't be sexed yet, so it can turn out to be a male.

But good news: Except your guppies your fish should have all but problems with the low pH. Angels can go down to at least pH of 5 and many tetras as low as 4. So you're definitely safe with them.

 

I would think about the angel stocking at a later point. Honestly.
Your angel can't be sexed yet, so it can turn out to be a male.

But good news: Except your guppies your fish should have all but problems with the low pH. Angels can go down to at least pH of 5 and many tetras as low as 4. So you're definitely safe with them.

Heh I know I won’t be able to tell the gender for a while but the angel is the most social and friendly with me so for now she’s my lil girlie.

I just changed half the water using tap only, and used prime and stress coat to treat the water I added. The only thing that changed again is the pH (now 6.6) and nitrite ever so slightly. The ammonia and nitrite look virtually the same D:

 

I would think about the angel stocking at a later point. Honestly.
Your angel can't be sexed yet, so it can turn out to be a male.

But good news: Except your guppies your fish should have all but problems with the low pH. Angels can go down to at least pH of 5 and many tetras as low as 4. So you're definitely safe with them.

hellooo again.
It is Friday and my water is looking great! Had a little ammonia and nitrite after feeding and it settled itself back down to zero. Things seem to be looking good. However the guppies have been surfing like crazy all the time. I am worried about them. Does ammonia/nitrite exposure take time to get out of their system? Would raising the pH with some coral or something help?

I added pictures of the test this morning vs checking nitrite and ammonia this afternoon. I also included a pic of a guppy smashing his face against the glass. They have been swimming up and down against the glass all day most days.

 

As I said, the water is great for your fish EXCEPT the guppies. Your choice was obviously to rehome them or to raise hardness and pH. As you haven't done either I'm not surprised.

 

I

As I said, the water is great for your fish EXCEPT the guppies. Your choice was obviously to rehome them or to raise hardness and pH. As you haven't done either I'm not surprised.

got the pH up to 7.0 using coral and my tank finished cycling last Tuesday. All my water readings have been perfect and today one of the guppies is just laying motionless. I haven’t seen the angel bully them and I’m home all day because I work remote... but I’m thinking it has to be the angel fish after all.