Water Changes??

[AmayaxSin]

So I'm new to this and I've been searching and not really any luck.

My question is..

Water changes for a regular aquarium are easy, but where I live water is harshly hard. So when doing a water change for a ph of 6.5-6.0 aquarium.. Do I have to do something special? Like letting the water sit while waiting for the ph to drop? This is the part that's confusing for me. Any pointers will help!! Thanks!! :]

[brewmaster15]

Hi,
First thing that you need to do is get a better handle on your water chemistry and understanding of what exactly your discus need for parameters.

Start here by telling us what your water is like...what is "harshly hard" give us the parameters.. You also should check out our "water" section...you'll get a better understanding of water there...for instance letting your water sit won't affect its hardness.The minerals in it, will still be in it. It may affect its pH though if theres dissolved gasses in the water. Research "aging" water to understand that concept better...You'll need to measure your pH out of your tap first, and then age and aerate the water overnight in a bucket, and remeasure the pH...if the differences are great, you probably have dissolved gasses affecting your pH.

Next is the 6.5-6.0 bit, thats not a necessary parameter... but if your water is hard and alkaline and you want it there...the only way to really achieve it safely is with an RO unit....so again the search would be for "RO water and Discus". Question is why are you shooting for that pH range?

thanks,
al

[shoveltrash]

advice - read read read here.....make use of the 'advanced search' option at the top right of the web page ;).
understanding water chemistry is vital. there are a LOT of factors that influence pH.
I myself use RO water, and then add buffer to stabilize pH.
welcome to the forum, and be prepared to spend lots of time reading! :D

[Skip]

So I'm new to this and I've been searching and not really any luck.

My question is..

Water changes for a regular aquarium are easy, but where I live water is harshly hard. So when doing a water change for a ph of 6.5-6.0 aquarium.. Do I have to do something special? Like letting the water sit while waiting for the ph to drop? This is the part that's confusing for me. Any pointers will help!! Thanks!! :]

I live in austin.. i use tap water for all my discus.. i do not add anything except water conditioner *Seachem SAFE* to remove Chlorine/Ammonia..

so i do not consider it harsh..