Anyone use Seachem Discus Buffer?

[sledge760]

I am struggling with my high water ph. I am using city water that is 7.6 coming out of the tap. I would like to bring it down to at least 7.0 or lower. I have been reading a couple of reviews about Seachem Discus buffer. Does anyone use this product and does it work?

[alpine]

I don't think you are going to find any takers here ....

Roberto.

[sledge760]

I don't think you are going to find any takers here ....

Roberto.

Why?

[DiscusDude85]

Most dont alter their ph. Discus can thrive in very diverse water conditions.

[dpt8]

Throw out the discus buffer. I used it about 10 years ago. The more you use it, the harder it is to regulate the PH. You get all srcewed up. You certainly don't need it. Discus like somewhat constant consistent PH. A 7.6 PH is not that high. Some people on this forum keep discus in a higher ph. It may drop some after you airate it plus once tank is conditioned/cycled you may find the tank water is lower than the tap. Put a piece of driftwood in the tank for color as it releases the tannins, and that may soften the water.

[Tavio]

What would you suggest to someone who already bought it? The reason i ask is because before I bought my discus, one of the guys from a LFS strongly recommended i get it because it would drop the ph and add trace elements the fish needed to replicate their natural habitat. He pretty much said they would not live in tap water. Tap water has a Ph of around 8 here.

[MSD]

What is your tank PH without using the Seachem buffer? My water is also 7.6 out of the tap, but it is soft and the tank PH is 6.8. You do not need the buffer as my friend Kenny has taught me, if you want to breed us R/O water to drop the PH.

[sledge760]

I just thought it would be better for disease prevention to keep my water at a lower ph. Anyway, I guess I will pass on using the buffer.

[Fishworm]

I used it and I still have some. but it's not really worth it. I just stuck some peat in my filter to drop the PH and hardness.

but now I just use RO/DI water instead.

[sledge760]

I used it and I still have some. but it's not really worth it. I just stuck some peat in my filter to drop the PH and hardness.

but now I just use RO/DI water instead.

Did the peat work? Was you water tea color?

[FilmAddict81]

I use the seachem discus buffer on a consistent basis. I really like the product and it has no effect on my fish. My discus really seem to like the PH between 6 and 6.5. If I can't get to the store to buy RO water I use a tablespoon per 10 gallons during water change. After water changes I use the buffer in smaller amounts to lower the PH to proper levels. But the best solution is to use RO water.

[Fishworm]

the peat worked really well. it dropped my PH and hardness.

the tea colored water didnt stay around long. after adding the peat it stained the water for the first 2 weeks or so, then it pretty much stopped. but my driftwood keeps the water stained now.

[cyang]

What would you suggest to someone who already bought it? The reason i ask is because before I bought my discus, one of the guys from a LFS strongly recommended i get it because it would drop the ph and add trace elements the fish needed to replicate their natural habitat. He pretty much said they would not live in tap water. Tap water has a Ph of around 8 here.

He lied to you.

[DiscusOnly]

What would you suggest to someone who already bought it? The reason i ask is because before I bought my discus, one of the guys from a LFS strongly recommended i get it because it would drop the ph and add trace elements the fish needed to replicate their natural habitat. He pretty much said they would not live in tap water. Tap water has a Ph of around 8 here.

Ask the guy at the fish store "What is the natural habitat"? In the wild? Ask him for the water parameter of the discus source. For all we know, the breeder may be using tap water. Most LFS know very little about discus compared to a lot of the members here. I recently got into an argument with a LFS employee because he tried to tell me that I've been "lucky" using straight tap water for a year. He doesn't accept the fact that the "lucky" part is having good tap water rather than "lucky" that the discus didn't get sick and die without altering the tap water.

Back to sledge760's orginal question. I would shy away from adding any Discus buffer to get the 7.6 PH down when it's been well documented that discus will do fine with that PH.

[CraigG]

I used it and I still have some. but it's not really worth it. I just stuck some peat in my filter to drop the PH and hardness.

but now I just use RO/DI water instead.

I haven't notice peat changing my pH it did make the water softer but the pH is the same.

I use proper pH 6.5 and every 3 or 4 days when I test the water its always tested the same.