Confused....

[ecrew]

I have a 75 gal with 3 domestic adults. I also have another adult and juv that i'm treating in a hospital tank. My husband and I went to a lfs and they had a beautiful wild for sale. I can't remember what kind. He was at least 5", very fat and healthy looking. The lfs had him with other domestic Discus in 6.5ph and 84 temp. We were considering buying him but when I told the lfs that our ph was at 7.0, they said that the wild wouldn't live in that high of a ph. I've read on here that folks keep their wilds at all different PH levels, but the consensus is that they do better in softer water (lower than 7ph).
Is this correct?

I guess I'm just confused and need some advice. We really like the wild and wanted to buy him, but I don't want to hurt him if he won't do well in 7ph.

Also, if we wanted to lower our ph, how would we do that and how do we keep it stable? We currently age our water and use prime and carbon to remove cholrine and other junk in our tap water.

[CAGE-RATTLER]

Many here have stated over and over that Discus can be kept in higher PH's and 7.0 really isnt that high IMO anyway.

There is chemicals to raise and lower your PH (PH+ or PH-)
And i believe using pete in your filter will also lower lower it. (or is pete used as a softener?)

But wait to hear from some more advanced discus keepers.

[Dood Lee]

My wild discus were in tanks with pH of 7, so I think they will be fine. Just acclimate it properly and you should have no trouble.

[ecrew]

Thanks!! I really wanted that wild but I didn't want to hurt him.

[Ryan]

Your pH is fine. And since you're going from a lower to a higher pH, you don't even have to acclimate them. Scoop them out of the bag and dump them in. As long as they're going from a low temp and pH to a higher temp and pH, no acclimation is necessary. The fish will be okay.

If he looks healthy and happy, bring him home :) Just make sure you quarantine! Ask the LFS to feed them so you can see if he eats well. That's always a good sign.

Ryan

[ecrew]

Thanks, Ryan!!

I did put my fingers over the water to simulate putting food in and he came to the surface immediately looking. He also greeted me by coming to the front of the tank and showing off for me. :)

[Ryan]

Well, of course you know what's next don't you?

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We want pictures :)

Ryan

[ecrew]

I know. I know. :D:D:D

I'll talk to the hubby when I get home!

[Dood Lee]

BTW, if you want to lower your pH the easiest way to do so would be to get a mesh filter bag (your lfs should have something) and put peat moss into it. Peat will lower your pH, and if you place it in the filter, it will do so constantly.

[Ryan]

If it's not broke, don't fix it. I wouldn't worry about altering your water parameters unless you found some reason it was necessary. Besides, pH 7.0 is neutral, and you are lucky. I would love to have a neutral pH. I keep discus in 7.8 pH and they do okay, but 7.0 just sounds like such a nice, safe number. lol.

Ryan

[ecrew]

Thanks!

We used to use Discus Buffer, but we learned that Discus do fine in pH 7 so we stopped using it.

[satty]

Does peat filter lower the pH I thought they only make the water soft ie remove the Calcium and Magnesium ions and pH was influenced by H+ ?

[Ichthyology]

Peat does remove Calcium. It takes in calcium and replaces it with H+ ions. Even dead peat does this.

[satty]

I think the hydrogen Ions are contributed by the Tannic acid released and as people popularly believe Soft waterhas nothing to do with pH it is only in terms of the Calcium and Magnesium ion concentration- the more Ca and Mg the hard the water and Less the softer the water,and sometimes the calcium ions reach with Co3 to form calcium carbonate-a salt, just like Na ion reacting with Cl to form Nacl or the common salt and it is this Carbonate in the calcium carbonate that Raises the Kh and this is turn raises the pH,Tannic acid released from Peat Decreases the pH and also it acts as a resin to remove the Ca and Mg in turn making the water soft-isnt this correct Proff?