Best products for lowering ph

[turbobuickgn]

The ph in my tap water is a bit higher than i would like it to be and when i do my water changes it brings the ph up in my tank more than i would like.  After letting the water sit out for 48 hours what product should i use to lower the ph i would like it in the 6.8 range before adding it to the tank and it is currently between 7.8 and 8.0.

Also i plan on going with an RO unit in the future which one do you recommend i only need 20 gallons every 48 hours. Can i please get some links.  Do you need to let the 25% of tap water that you add to the ro fitered water sit out for 48 hours before mixing.

Thanks in advance for  all advice
Scott

[JacKWattleyDiscus]

If you are using a holding tank. You can use Muriatic Acid. Place a cap full in for at least 30 gallons of water.
After a 24 hour rest take a PH reading and see if the PH is around where you want it to be.
This is the cheapest and most affective way of lowering the PH. This is the method used in our hatchery.
Gabe

[DISCUSDADDYSLC]

Gabe my goodness glad to see you helping out   Do you use the acid with the breeding pairs to?

[turbobuickgn]

where can i find muriatic acid at my lfs ? at home supply store?

Are you also adding a ph stabilizer to the water or just the muriatic acid

Hi 'turbobuickgn
Try your locall spa store or a builders supply!
HTH
Cary Gld!

[daninthesand]

turbobuickgn


Muriatic acid is often used for swimming pools. Try a swimming pool supply store.

Dan

Dan,
I thought You said You were going to Sleep LOL!
Cary Gld!

[JacKWattleyDiscus]

DISCUSDADDYSLC
WE use very little muriatic in the already soft breeder tanks.  5.5 PH is the lowest we want to be at. But we use it everywhere else in the hatchery. Have been now for the last 7 years. We use about 12 galons a month.
Gabe

[taybelZ]

you could also use Hydrochloric acid.
(HCL- ACID)
its pretty dangerous stuff... definately something you open outside... trust me!!!!
it make my head spin, and nose burn for a whole day!
also.. you got to let it aerate for at least 24 hrs.. so you get stable PH.
but seems like Muriatic acid is the way to go... haven't tried. since i only have some baby discus.. just use tap ph. 7.8ish.

[JacKWattleyDiscus]

taybelZ
Muriatic is 37% HCL.
Gabe

[keno]

I have soft water, i used to use peat then i switched to muratic acid, they sell it at my local home depot in the swimmming pool section. I mix it in a gallon container with 3 parts water to one part acid, i do this so i dont have to work with the straight acid. Then i add a few ml's of this to my holding tank. has been working great for me for the last 6 months.

Ken

[discusmith]

I'm finding all this info on water chemistry very interesting.  I used to think that keeping discus successfully meant getting there water hardness and PH just right.  I not so sure now.  I just had a visit yesterday with Daryl Szyska in Chicago.  He's a very experienced and knowledgable breeder-keeper.  I arrived while he was doing water changes.  He basically went from tank to tank sucking out half the water then refilling from the tap.  I saw no carbon prefilter on the hose so I assume he isn't concerned about any chlorine problem.  As he put it he doesn't baby his fish.  Grow outs and adults all the same.  I know he treats his breeders differently.  My point is if we are doing regular water changes and cleaning is the chemistry we have available important for keeping these fish happy and healthy??  Should we only be mucking with the water for the pairs we have set up for breeding?  I left there thinking I am working way too hard and making this much more difficult than it needs to be.

You should see this guys fish!  I've never seen discus attack food the way his fish do!  He had just fed them they all still had swollen bellies.  He said "you want to see them eat?"  He threw more food in the water and they pummeled it like they hadn't had a good meal in a week!  I mean it was all gone in seconds.  I have pics I can post if I ever figure out what the heck I'm doing wrong.

[discusmith]

Well that pic posted just fine.  It is a turquoise pair with young Daryl had because he was out of room at his dads place.  I you can see he doesn't  go out of his way.

[Kagan]

Hi there,

I have a question:
Doesn't muriatic acid or HCl increase the conductivity?? I have read it somewhere. Am I wrong? If it does; how does it?? It gives Cl- and H+ ions. Doesn't Cl form a gaseous molecule?? Please correct me. Thanks in advance. Take care

Kagan

[taybelZ]

Gabe, just wondering why not use HCL then... wouldn't it be more concentrated then muriatic acid.
or did you mean muriatic is 37% concetrated..
where as HCL is only 33%..
make sense??
perhaps not LOL