# Lowering PH tips



## Iain Sutherland (13 Mar 2012)

There are a few more sensitive fish ive been looking at that like a lower ph, what is the best way to do this naturally?

I understand that sphagnum peat moss under the substrate will lower ph but this doesnt seem to be a lasting effect.  
Alder cones are another way but only drops it slightly, can these be used inside a filter?

My tap water is 7 and would like a consistent 5.5-6ish.

Will i only ever be able to achieve a stable low ph by using RO?

Any tips?


----------



## Alastair (13 Mar 2012)

Eheim do peat pellets to put in the filter mate they'd certainly help bring it down


----------



## Iain Sutherland (13 Mar 2012)

Cheers buddy, do you know if they colour the water?


----------



## Alastair (13 Mar 2012)

Not too sure matey. Never had to use them as I've got über soft water anyway


----------



## darren636 (13 Mar 2012)

what fish? Best not to alter your intank water ph. Do it out of the aquarium.


----------



## dw1305 (14 Mar 2012)

Hi all,


> There are a few more sensitive fish ive been looking at that like a lower ph, what is the best way to do this naturally?


 This depends upon the dKH buffering of the tap water. As you live in Cambridge, I would suspect that your tap water is almost infinitely carbonate buffered, so there is no real way of reducing hardness, other than by RO, distillation etc.

I would expect the water would be similar or harder than my tap water, which at about 17d carbonate hardness and strongly carbonate buffered.


> These are the figures from "Wessex Water")
> Calcium (milligrams per litre) 119 (298 x 40% = 119)
> Calcium carbonate (milligrams per litre) 298
> Degrees German (ºdH) 16.7 (16.7 x 17.85 = 298)
> ...


Sphagnum peat actually works like an ion exchange resin by swapping cations (like Ca2+) for H+ ions.

You should be able to get a hardness figure from here: <http://www.cambridge-water.co.uk/customers/area-water-quality>

cheers Darrel


----------



## darren636 (14 Mar 2012)

i use peat moss to lower my tap water parameters. Works  a dream.


----------



## darren636 (14 Mar 2012)

great info darrell.


----------



## Iain Sutherland (14 Mar 2012)

thanks for the info guys, i guessed that trying to alter tap water would be near impossible in the long term.  Im actually now focusing on my shrimp tank to breed CRS and will use RO.  The biotope will have to wait.

I need to empty the tank, rescape, then rehome the CRS i have immeadiately so will need a substrate that wont leach ammonia yet create the best habitat for reasonable grade CRS ie. ph6.  
Any sugestions that will do this and grow plants... ???


----------



## dw1305 (14 Mar 2012)

Hi all,


> then rehome the CRS i have immeadiately so will need a substrate that wont leach ammonia yet create the best habitat for reasonable grade CRS ie. ph6. Any sugestions that will do this and grow plants... ???


 I'd go with 100% silica sand, and just fertilise the water column.

cheers Darrel


----------



## Iain Sutherland (15 Mar 2012)

I was really thinking of a black substrate just because CRS look better on black.

Anyone with experience of Fluval shrimp stratum?


----------



## dw1305 (15 Mar 2012)

Hi all,


> I was really thinking of a black substrate just because CRS look better on black.


There was a black sand thread here: <http://www.ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=17588>

cheers Darrel


----------

