ph of 9.0 really ok?

[1977]

Okay, I know that everything I read on here says that ph doesn't matter but just the same I have been adjusting mine to 6.6. I really would love to not have to mess with it but my aged tap water has a ph of 9.0. Is this really going to be safe for keeping and breeding my discus?

[kzoocritter]

I have no problem with one of my tanks that gets aged tap water in the high 8 ph range.
You will probably not get any hatches with a high ph like that.
JMO

[Discus_KC]

A ph of 9 !!!!! I would love one that low out of the tap. The last few readings I have taken, the PH out of the tap is 10.8 :o :o :o :o

I have spawns now in tap. Small hatch rates but it can happen.

Jack

[discus_nw]

pH does matter, inspite of what many say. Will a discus live in 9.0 pH? Obviously. Is this what is best? Not even close. :)

[Nightowl]

Geez, I even feel that a PH over 8 is nuts....I guess I'm a little too "old school" as they say. Do you know what any kind of ammonia spike would do at that high a PH???
Going out on a limb again, but in these parts we use small amounts of discus buffer to settle in our PH at around 6.7. Yes, I know it raises the TDS and all that.... the fish do fine, spawn like crazy and the fry love it too.
I would like to add(at my own risk of course) that some of my fishes best spawns were at PH's in the 5.6 range.....few if any pathogens to affect the fry, low bacterial count too, but not enough to impair nitrification.
With a PH of 9.0 I would try preparing water using peat, as buffers are easily overdosed. J.T.

[Discus_KC]

Some of us are dealt a deck of cards that we should fold with. The PH here is off the scales compared to most. I despise it but I deal with it. I'm experimenting with buffers and peat as well.

Your discus will tell you they don't like high PH. Mine do !! So I'm lowering it to their liking.

Jack

[1977]

I currently use muriatic acid which I've got down to a science as far as the ph going in the tank, but I tell you it seems unstable. Sometimes my ph will be at 5.0 all of a sudden even though I only put water in between 6.6 and 6.9. I don't know why that happens

[Carol_Roberts]

The acid uses up the KH (buffer) Your tank is producing acid all the time from the normal nitrification process. A little extra food, a little less cleaning . . . if your KH is marginal can tip you into a pH drop

[1977]

Carol, so the muriatic acid is using up the buffer in the tank? I didn't thing this would effect the water once is was mixed. I feed 5 times a day and do 6 water changes a week. I really would like to stop using the muriatic but when I start breeding I want to do whatever is neccessary to have big and successful broods, which can't realistically be done in such a high ph can it? Plus ammonia levels are much more deadly at this high ph correct? Thanks

What is your KH before and after adding the acid?

It can take up to 48-72 hrs for your pH to settle depending on the parameters. I made tests with my water (KH 1, pH 9.4). Yours could of course be different.

If the KH is low you will have to add some crushed coral or similar back. I mention Crushed Coral because that is what I used to stabilize the pH in the tanks (placed in the wet/dry or A/C using a pantyhose). Worked fine.

After using it for a while I decided it is better to use R/O. Idea behind that is, if I have to add stuff to the water I might as well go the whole 9 yards and be sure about what is in the water.
Besides that I felt a bit odd stripping the water from KH to get a certain pH and then having to add back something else to get a somewhat acceptable KH.

I do not breed, but I was told that using acid for breeders is not a good idea. I assume that is largely because of the Acid stripping the KH (making it very unstable) it also drives the TDS/Conductance up.
I could be wrong on all accounts ;D

Ronald

[Carol_Roberts]

Sounds right to me Ronald ;D