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Thread: Acclimation going from tap water to an RO/Tap Mix

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    Homesteader jwcarlson's Avatar
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    Default Acclimation going from tap water to an RO/Tap Mix

    This isn't for my discus, but I figure if it's good for discus, it will be OK for my apistos.

    My water is every hard, pH is 8.2 or 8.3. TDS is... 300 on my meter, but when checking my gH and kH, I'm not sure how it could be that low. In any event, when you're transitioning from water like that to RO, how should I approach that?
    My plan was to drain the tanks down about 50% and then over the course of a few days slowly fill them back up? The fish are in a divided 55 and a 29. I've got about 30 gallons of straight RO at TDS of 1 or 2 and pH last night looked to be about 6.6.

    Tonight I'll probably do some experimentation and testing to see how things look at different ratios of RO:tap water. I'm not sure how cutting it 1:1 would effect the pH vs 2:1 vs something even more aggressive.

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    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Acclimation going from tap water to an RO/Tap Mix

    I've just plopped and dropped in the past. Probably not the right way to do things, but I never had a problem.
    Mama Bear

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    Homesteader RogueDiscus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Acclimation going from tap water to an RO/Tap Mix

    My experience with my well water is that when I cut it with RO the pH doesn't change much. I didn't add any acid, I just diluted the hard minerals that caused the high pH but they're still what is determining the pH. That old difference between pH and hardness thing.
    Lifting dictionaries literally strengthens your muscles.

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    Homesteader jwcarlson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Acclimation going from tap water to an RO/Tap Mix

    Quote Originally Posted by RogueDiscus View Post
    My experience with my well water is that when I cut it with RO the pH doesn't change much. I didn't add any acid, I just diluted the hard minerals that caused the high pH but they're still what is determining the pH. That old difference between pH and hardness thing.
    Was looking for that confirmation, thanks, Steve!

    Liz, I plop and drop everything anymore because I have a hard time believing that I'm going to buy fish from someone with higher pH than I have. I've always heard that going up in pH is fine, but going down can burn gills? No clue if that's accurate.

    Thanks! I won't get too torn up about it and will probably just do a 50% water change and fill back up with straight RO. But I will mix a small amount in a jar first just because I'm weird like that.

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    Default Re: Acclimation going from tap water to an RO/Tap Mix

    My tap water run around 8.9 ph, so most likely any fish coming in will have a lower ph. I have to lower the ph otherwise there is the risk of alkaline body and finnage burn.

    Cliff

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    Homesteader jwcarlson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Acclimation going from tap water to an RO/Tap Mix

    Interesting, Cliff. These apistos came in at 7.0 and I plop/dropped them into my 8.3. Maybe that's not a big enough shift to cause an issue. They didn't skip a beat and never had any damage. Like I said above, I've always heard the other way is the problem (going from high to low pH).

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    Silver Member Willie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Acclimation going from tap water to an RO/Tap Mix

    I use Liz's method, plop and drop. Never ran into an issue with skipping acclimation.
    At my age, everything is irritating.

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    Default Re: Acclimation going from tap water to an RO/Tap Mix

    I have had big problems in the past moving discus from high ph shipping water to my soft acidic water.

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    Silver Member Willie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Acclimation going from tap water to an RO/Tap Mix

    Quote Originally Posted by Vanman View Post
    I have had big problems in the past moving discus from high ph shipping water to my soft acidic water.
    Not saying you're wrong, but is it the change in water conditions or the health of the fish? Back when I was competing in Midwest fish shows, I would drive 6 - 12 hours to a show with discus in pure R/O. When they get there, the fish would great right into tanks with hard Midwest water. After the show, they go right back into the R/O buckets. Never had a problem doing that.
    At my age, everything is irritating.

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    Homesteader jwcarlson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Acclimation going from tap water to an RO/Tap Mix

    Quote Originally Posted by Willie View Post
    Not saying you're wrong, but is it the change in water conditions or the health of the fish? Back when I was competing in Midwest fish shows, I would drive 6 - 12 hours to a show with discus in pure R/O. When they get there, the fish would great right into tanks with hard Midwest water. After the show, they go right back into the R/O buckets. Never had a problem doing that.
    Curious... what's the reasoning behind R/O for transport? I think Hans does the same thing when shipping fish (pure R/O, but in his shop they're in Delaware tap water). Why not the same water they're normally living in?

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    Default Re: Acclimation going from tap water to an RO/Tap Mix

    When I bought fish in hard alkaline water I would also get hard alkaline water from the breeder. I then set a tank up with the hard alkaline water when I got home. The fish never even knew they had been moved. If I put them in my water which is soft and acidic, ph well below 7 and TDS about 20-40, I lost some or all of them. This even after a slow, several hour, gradual acclimation.

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    Administrator jeep's Avatar
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    Default Re: Acclimation going from tap water to an RO/Tap Mix

    My water is hard like yours. When it's time for a pair to spawn, I just do a 80% straight RO water change to bring TDS to under 100... Plop and drop???

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    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Acclimation going from tap water to an RO/Tap Mix

    Jacob, Cary does the same thing. Anyone who has bought from him will testify that his never skipped a beat. He said it's because ammonia is less toxic in RO. I did it for a while and had no trouble with his way either.
    Mama Bear

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    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Acclimation going from tap water to an RO/Tap Mix

    Quote Originally Posted by Vanman View Post
    When I bought fish in hard alkaline water I would also get hard alkaline water from the breeder. I then set a tank up with the hard alkaline water when I got home. The fish never even knew they had been moved. If I put them in my water which is soft and acidic, ph well below 7 and TDS about 20-40, I lost some or all of them. This even after a slow, several hour, gradual acclimation.
    Strange.
    Mama Bear

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    Default Re: Acclimation going from tap water to an RO/Tap Mix

    Quote Originally Posted by LizStreithorst View Post
    Strange.
    Not really. I have read on here that it is easier to raise the ph than lower it with discus.

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