PH!!! help! info needed...

[HenryDiscus916]

my ph tester just arrived... ph from tap is 7.9 .. Ph from age and tank water is 7.7

should i still age water?? should i try to lower ph with chemicals??

[jimg]

no reason to age it. leave ph as is with domestics

[chrisb01]

I concur.

[discuspaul]

Please don't mess with that pH. You could be sorry if you do.

It's just fine - water ageing not necessary.

[mikev]

At what point do you start to age the water? Is there a certain criteria?

[BoiseDiscusGuy]

The only benifit to aging water is to allow the chlorine gas to precipitate and evaporate from the water. If you use a dechlorinator product such as Prime, aging IMO is not needed.

[shoveltrash]

shouldn't water be aged if pH is lower out of the tap than what's in the tank (due to dissolved CO2)?
I'm pushing the limit IMHO....pH from tap is 7.6-7.8, pH in tank runs 8.0. so 50% WCs are all I do volume-wise from tap.

seems you have the reverse, so I'm assuming that's not a problem?
(sorry, newbie questions!)

[chrisb01]

The only benifit to aging water is to allow the chlorine gas to precipitate and evaporate from the water. If you use a dechlorinator product such as Prime, aging IMO is not needed.

I concur :-)


shouldn't water be aged if pH is lower out of the tap than what's in the tank (due to dissolved CO2)?
I'm pushing the limit IMHO....pH from tap is 7.6-7.8, pH in tank runs 8.0. so 50% WCs are all I do volume-wise from tap.

You need to let them get used to the tap water pH. They will do fine.

[shoveltrash]

ok........maybe I've read too much and gotten the wrong ideas somehow? (quite possible! LOL)

The only benifit to aging water is to allow the chlorine gas to precipitate and evaporate from the water. If you use a dechlorinator product such as Prime, aging IMO is not needed.
I was under the impression that IF the pH from tap is lower than pH of 'aged/aerated' water (in tank), that WC fill water should be aged?????
should I not worry about this at all, given my pH differences? I have softened well water, no chlorine whatsoever.
my Discus are fine w/high pH btw :).

sorry, didn't mean to hijack your thread HenryDiscus!!!

[BoiseDiscusGuy]

ok........maybe I've read too much and gotten the wrong ideas somehow? (quite possible! LOL)

I was under the impression that IF the pH from tap is lower than pH of 'aged/aerated' water (in tank), that WC fill water should be aged?????
should I not worry about this at all, given my pH differences? I have softened well water, no chlorine whatsoever.
my Discus are fine w/high pH btw :).

sorry, didn't mean to hijack your thread HenryDiscus!!!
I honestly would'nt worry about 2-4 tenths of a point. that should be fine...

[Len]

based on ph there may be no need to age the water, but what happens when you do a large water change? If you are getting lots of micro bubbles, the you SHOULD age your water regardless.

[shoveltrash]

yes, a good bit of micro-bubbles. I've assumed it is dissolved CO2, since aerating the water increases the pH approx .5
<sigh> nothing's simple!

[adammak47]

based on ph there may be no need to age the water, but what happens when you do a large water change? If you are getting lots of micro bubbles, the you SHOULD age your water regardless.

How do you define a lots? covered 50% of the fish??

[kent1963]

The main reason to age your tap is to allow the water to de-gas and the PH to equalize, you should still use a declore to be on the safe side. If your PH does not change greatly you probably don't need to age. My PH out of the tap runs 8.4-8.8 and drops to approx 7.8 after 24hrs. Still fairly high but consistent what you need to avoid is a wild PH swing every time you do a WC.

[chrisb01]

I have two big blue barrels to age my water, they were given to me by one of the fish farms near me. However, I don't use them. With today's technology, I really don't see the need to age my water.

I will keep the barrels though. Been thinking of using them as outdoor ponds, you know, put some kind of fish in them. Koi will be too big for them though, maybe Platys or Guppies, something small.

[chrisb01]

I have two big blue barrels to age my water, they were given to me by one of the fish farms near me. However, I don't use them. With today's technology, I really don't see the need to age my water.

I will keep the barrels though. Been thinking of using them as outdoor ponds, you know, put some kind of fish in them. Koi will be too big for them though, maybe Platys or Guppies, something small.

[shoveltrash]

With today's technology, I really don't see the need to age my water.
so is there some away around this? some new technology we should know about?

it's a stretch trying to convince my other half that we "need" another (larger) aquarium....and I haven't even brought up the need for a giant plastic barrel to be parked in the dining or living room :(.

[chrisb01]

...it's a stretch trying to convince my other half that we "need" another (larger) aquarium....and I haven't even brought up the need for a giant plastic barrel to be parked in the dining or living room :(.

No, a barrel would look horrible in the living room or dinning room. Just use Prime or AmQuel Plus with your W/C.
Keep up with your water param testing and W/C. You'll be OK.

[TNT77]

so is there some away around this? some new technology we should know about?

it's a stretch trying to convince my other half that we "need" another (larger) aquarium....and I haven't even brought up the need for a giant plastic barrel to be parked in the dining or living room :(.
I just bought barrels that fit under the stand. Fill with water...age..pump from barrel to tank..refill..close doors..done :)

[shoveltrash]

Just use Prime or AmQuel Plus with your W/C. but why? I have well water, no ammonia, no nitrates/trites, no chlorine, etc. just micro bubbles that I assume is dissolved CO2.....based on pH change from tap to tank aged water. Prime & AmQuel won't help with this will it?


I just bought barrels that fit under the stand. Fill with water...age..pump from barrel to tank..refill..close doors..done a holding tank won't fit under my current 40g high tank (small stand), but that's a great idea! I may just keep putzing along with my straight-from-tap WCs.

[TNT77]

but why? I have well water, no ammonia, no nitrates/trites, no chlorine, etc. just micro bubbles that I assume is dissolved CO2.....based on pH change from tap to tank aged water. Prime & AmQuel won't help with this will it?
Ageing is your best bet. Is there anywere you can get ahold of a water pump. It doesn't even need to be really big. As long as it can pump water from point a to b. Find an out of the way spot, a nearby closet or such to house a barrel. Get some plastic water tubing from home depot or a farm supply store attach and pump away. You can even check your local lfs for used water pumps. Just call and find out what they have.