High ph with low dkh

Hi, I’m having problems with high ph in newly made zero TDS ro water, I. Trying to get a dkh around 3 with a Ph of approx 7.3-7.5 .

I’ve used various salts and buffers and it just results in when I get a dkh of around 3 the ph is around 8.2 +.

I’ve now tried using just bicarbonate soda to increase the Ro waters dkh to 3 Just in case it was something in the mineral salts That were screwing with my Ph but I’m still getting a ph of 8.2 +, chemistry is definitely not my strong point :crazy:

how can I lower the ph ( to around 7.3-7.5) and keep it there but keep the dkh at 3 ? Without screwing to much with the waters TDS if possible.

Wouldnt using an acid To lower ph just use up my dkh and dropping it from 3 ?

Kind regards

Andy

Hey Andy welcome to SD !
I breed rams and discus when they want to cooperate[the discus] ..
I would start testing TDS instead of pH.
IMO pH means very little compared to TDS.
I also [maybe just me] don't sweat low KH readings .
I have never had a swing due to KH and my tap is 2-3 KH and some of my fish go in almost straight RO which I only test TDS on .
My RO lowers my TDS from 350+ to 17 but does not move my pH more then .5.It goes from 7.6 to 7.1 or so ..
I have found the pH matters very little and is much harder to control then TDS.
When I offer the same fish lower TDS water with very close to the same pH it makes a huge difference .
I believe in TDS so much I test nothing else anymore ??
I use the HM3 TDS meter which is easily found under $20 and needs no calibration .
https://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TD.../dp/B000VTQM70

I'm with Tom on this. I haven't even owned a pH meter for years. But my TDS meter is my bestest friend.

Andy,
What is your reasoning behind using RO water?
What are your test results directly from your tap?

My thoughts on using RO water, it just adds another complicated step to the water change process that a lot of the time can be avoided.

That's the first question I asked him and he never answered. Why, Andy?

Thank for your replies. I can make the TDS what ever I want, it’s zero after my ro Di, the TDS I’ve found once below 100 tends to not make much difference, I’ve tried various TDS readings so I run anywhere from 80-140 depend on What species it’s for, in reality I would like soft water with the buffer of a kh of around 3 to stop any ph crashes that low dkh can bring, I know that’s probably not going to be possible without running co2 etc but don’t want to inject co2.

so that’s why I’d I like my ph at least close to neutral As possible.

I have to use ro as TDS from my tap is over 300 , with 50ppm no3 ! & Ph 7.3 my tap water is not good.

IMO the only real issue you have is the high N03, the TDS may become an issue if you are actively trying to breed.
I wonder if you could try and do a mix of RO & tap water to get closer to the parameters you are looking for.

But I'm still confused on why you actively chasing these parameters?
Without commercial / industrial grade machines and lab equipment I highly doubt you will be able to get repeatable results.

Hi, I’m am breeding, my tap water from experience is not suitable at all and my fish definitely don’t thrive in it, I don’t want to drink it never mind raise my fish in it ! Using my tap water stops all breeding Of the my fish, ( I am breeding, but not discus at the moment, although I was up until a month ago, I now just Breed plecos, cory’s etc) my test results have been very steady and repeatable. As I’ve said I wish to have a dkh of around 3 for its buffering effect( a little above or below makes no difference) to stop ph crashes ( I feed heavily ) and do don’t want the ph to be overly alkaline. Most of my fish are wild caught and thrive in acidic waters, Im Not looking for exact dkh/ph just ball park figures, and the resulting ph of 8.2+ With a dkh of 2-w is to high for some of the wild caught fish I’m breeding, through various testing from myself and many breeders I know Have found this, the fry yields are far better and stronger with a more stable ph ( from having a dkh of approx 3) But pushing the ph to high effects their breeding, I know It’s a fine balance. I would like Dkh for water stability but a ph as close to neutral/acid as possible. , Some of of fish ph makes no difference. Some it make a big difference to their breeding. And if I run a low ph which is very easy to get using ro water The lack of much dkh causes the ph to drop fast over the matter of one week. Hence trying to find the balance

I used this formula for one season with good results ;
https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/1...ml#post7197626
I then basically dumbed it down to 3 parts calcium , 2 parts baking soda ,1 part Epsom salt skipping the lemon juice and peat .
It too worked well for my rams . I can not remember but I am pretty sure my TDS was never as high as misslebears .

Many thanks