A good pH level in your aquarium is very important for the life and health of your aquatic creatures. High pH can stress and sometimes be fatal to some fish. Do you think the pH level of your aquarium is too high? Don’t worry; read on to become familiar with the step-by-step process for safely and effectively lowering pH in your aquarium.
pH and Why It’s Important
First, it is important to know what pH is and why it matters before getting into how to reduce it. Basically, pH shows how acidic or alkaline water is, with 0 being extremely acidic and 14 being extremely alkaline. Positions 7 and above this are neutral; below 7 they are acidic. Since different fish species prefer different pH conditions, it is important to set the right pH level for their good health.
What Can Cause High pH?
There are many reasons the pH can become elevated within your aquarium. Knowing some of these may help you manage something better.
Tap Water: It is an oddball concept, but the water entering your aquarium is perhaps of a high pH by nature. Many municipal water systems have dissolved minerals in the water, which raise the alkalinity.
Substrate and Decor: Certain substrates, such as crushed coral or limestone, and some rock varieties increase the pH of the water over time.
Lack of CO2: In planted aquariums, nitrifying bacteria lead to pH elevation, whereas that caused by the lack of CO2 leads to the same results. Carbon dioxide in nature leads to the reduction of pH, so if there is not enough of it, pH can go up.
Poor Water Change: Regular water change sustains the balance in the chemistry of water. If this necessary maintenance is not duly practiced, it may build up in alkaline substances and increase in pH naturally.
Natural Ways to Lower pH
It is always preferable to lower the pH through the natural ways, as it is way safer for your fish and the whole ecosystem. Here are several effective natural ways to help you with it:
1. Indian Almond Leaves
Indian almond leaves are another great all-natural way to reduce pH. They release tannins once in your aquarium, acidifying the water. They also add other benefits, such as being an anti-fungal and anti-bacterialistic environment, making it quite healthy for your fish. Although I’ve provided a detailed guide here.
How to Use:
Rinse the leaves in water before use to remove any dirt.
Add one leaf for every 10 gallons of water.
Remove the leaves every few weeks as they break down.
2. Driftwood
They were magic in my case, my pH was about 7.5 and after adding it, pH became 6.5. Huge change, right? This is a natural and good method to lower the pH is by using driftwood. The tannic acid is the acid form for acidifying whenever the driftwood decomposes. Other than that, the driftwood allows aquatic animals to live in a freer range.
How to Use it:
Leach some of the tannins by rinsing and soaking the driftwood in water for a few days. This transplanting preparation is to prevent the tannins from clouding the water.
Now, set the driftwood in the aquarium.
Now, this must be checked periodically for a pH change, at which point the driftwood would likely need to be replaced.
3. Peat Moss
Just a heads up! If you can’t manage peat moss you can do a 20% water change. It also works well. Peat moss can also be added to a filter to decrease a tank’s pH. This works with the peat releasing tannins and humic acids into the water from the peat, thus acidifying it. Peat does come with one small side effect, though: like Indian Almond Leaves, the peat turns your water slightly brown in color.
How to use: Put peat moss into a piece of mesh or filter media bag.
Add to filter.
Monitor the pH levels and change the peat moss as needed.
Chemical Methods of Lowering pH
While natural methods are recommended, there could be times when chemical methods are called for—more so if you need to bring pH down quickly. Here are some chemical options for you:
1. pH-lowering chemicals
pH-lowering chemicals are easily accessible in the market and will easily reduce the pH level in your aquarium. Such chemicals are pretty straightforward to use but must, however, be applied with caution because a sudden decrease in pH can be stressful, or even lethal, to fish.
How to Use
Follow the manufacturer’s directives.
Add the correct dosage amount to your aquarium.
Let several hours pass before testing for pH again, and fine-tune the dosage as necessary.
2. Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water
Reverse Osmosis (RO) water is highly purified and has a very low pH and alkalinity level. This way, combining it with your aquarium water means that the pH will be greatly lowered.
How to Use:
You can purchase RO water from a pet store, or if it’s cost-efficient, you can install one in your home.
Mix this RO water with some amount of the tap waters in such a manner that the pH level remains spontaneous.
Regularly monitor the pH levels and adjust the ratio that is fit.
Monitoring and Maintenance of pH Levels
Lowering is just the initial phase; maintaining at the desired level, however, is equally important. Below are some ways to monitor and stabilize your aquarium’s pH:
1. Frequent Testing
Hopefully, through regular testing, the level of impurities in your water should be monitored and maintained at the desired levels. Good quality pH test kits will help you in testing pH weekly; if one is adjusting the pH, more specifically.
2. Regular Replacement of Water
Regular water exchanges are necessary to keep the water chemistry within balance. Weekly exchanges of 10-20% of the volume of water are helpful in preventing the concentration of any alkaline substance that might be contained in the water.
3. Avoiding Sudden Changes
A rapid change in pH can be detrimental to the fish. Make changes very slowly and pay attention to the effect to avoid stressing the aquarium inhabitants.
Species-Specific Considerations
Different fish species have varying base needs, but understanding how different will help in coming up with an appropriate environment for the fish:
1. Soft Water Fish
The best examples include species such as tetras, discus, and some types of cichlids. They do best in soft and more acidic water. A less pH of water around the lowermost point of their accepted goes on in a manner as it helps keep them healthy and satisfied.
In contrast, species, such as African cichlids and livebearers, naturally desire water, which is harder and a bit more on the alkaline side. While I have elaborated on how you can reduce pH, under no circumstance should you forget the basic insult you are delivering to your fish by altering the water condition.
Common Myths About Reducing pH
A few myths should be addressed regarding this subject:
1. pH Down Products Are Safe
In addition to that, because while pH down products can and do work, they are a case of proceed with care, it is good to remember that overdoing it will cause rapid pH swings that stress or even kill your fish. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and make changes gradually.
2. All fish need the same pH level
Different species have different needs when it comes to pH. Send some time researching more about your fish species. Try to get your pH into their preferred range.
Conclusion
I always say to not follow pH number as a goal, sometimes people create shocks for the fish that they have by drastically changing it. So be careful of that. Through developments in knowledge on causes to an alkaline pH, and using both natural and chemical means, you can restore low values of pH and keep them balanced. Remember, patience and consistency are key. With a little effort and attention, you can strike the perfect balance in your aquarium and keep your fish living long healthy lives in stress-free conditions.
