Acclimate fish from 7.8 ph to 6.5 ph

[newtodiscus]

I am wondering what is the best way to acclimate discus from 7.8ph to 6.5 ph.

Thanks.

[jaydoc]

Newt,
The best way to acclimate from 7.8 to 6.5 is DON'T! Seriously, If you have water with alot of dissolved minerals, particularly Calcium, you will have alot of trouble getting the ph to stay down. This will mean frequent swings of ph which your discus won't like and frequent purchase of buffers that your budget won't like. Most books about discus and many Local fish store owners will tell you how important it is to lower ph for discus. This is old, inaccurate thinking. Many on this board, myself included, keep discus at ph as high as 8.5 or 9! STABLE water parameters are far more important than ph for discus keeping. Only if one intends to breed, do you need to modify the water. Even then, it is actually the lowering of water hardness that helps in breeding and fertilization of eggs ( The ph will lower when the hardness decreases as well, but that is not really what is important.)

Continue to read the posts on this board, particularly those by Carol Roberts and Brewmaster and they should point you in the right direction. (They both are willing to help if you send them a PM also.)

HTH
CARY

[newtodiscus]

Cary,

Thank you very much for the reply. I have read and followed the advice that you pointed out. However, here is the case -- my friend who follows other direction manage to keep his discus at 6.5 using mix of RO and tap plus some minerals stuff. I want to trade some of my fishes to his but our PH are as you see totally different. In order to make it work, I will have to acclimate his fish to 7.8ph which I think is a lot easier than he has to acclimate my fish to his environment (6.5). So I am wondering there is any advice from the experienced hobbyists to make it works.


Thanks again,



Hoang

[Carol_Roberts]

Your friend should raise the pH in his quarantine tank to 7.8 for your fish. (use African Cichlid stuff ) Then he should do 30% daily water changes with his lower pH change water. In a few days they will be swimming in 6.5 with no stress :)

[newtodiscus]

Thank you very much Carol. I will tell him that.



Hoang