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Keeping higher pH with driftwood?

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  • Keeping higher pH with driftwood?

    I was doing some checks on my water chemistry last night and noticed how low the pH is in one of my tanks.  I have a large piece of driftwood in the tank too with no other live decorations?  Is this my culprit and if so, how do I get the pH back up for my Africans?

  • #2
    Re: Keeping higher pH with driftwood?

    Could be. What kind of substrate are you using in that tank? Also, what's the value of the pH?
    "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

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    • #3
      Re: Keeping higher pH with driftwood?

      Substrate is a mixture of sandblasting sand with some regular river rocks.  Also have some lace rock in as well that is somewhat porus.  Using the Freshwater Master kit from PetSmart....it barely measured on the regular pH scale so I am guessing around 6.2-6.4.

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      • #4
        Re: Keeping higher pH with driftwood?

        First try to get someone else or a LFS to test your waters....if that turns out the same then find someone with crushed coral substrate and get a media bag full of it....then put it in your filter.
        700g Mini-Monster tank

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        • #5
          Re: Keeping higher pH with driftwood?

          I was under the impression that the crushed coral was just to buffer the pH that you had, not to raise it.  Correct me if I am wrong here.  Does anyone know of any stores in the Clear Lake area that sell it?  Anything that can be substituted for it if I can't find any readily available?

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          • #6
            Re: Keeping higher pH with driftwood?

            Yes there are stores that sell crushed coral in Clear Lake.  There is a PetSmart and a Petco that will both sell crushed coral (argonite). Not sure if this is the cheapest place you will find it though...
            Scarecrow : I haven't got a brain... only straw.
            Dorothy : How can you talk if you haven't got a brain?
            Scarecrow: I don't know... But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking... don't they?
            Dorothy: Yes, I guess you're right.

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            • #7
              Re: Keeping higher pH with driftwood?

              Heading to Petco when I get off anyway, I'll pick some up tonight.

              Thanks guys.

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              • #8
                Re: Keeping higher pH with driftwood?

                I read that sandstone from landscape quarries will raise your PH, I guess it depends on how much limestone is mixed in with it. And, I also read here on the net, that driftwood does indeed lower Ph, and make your water softer.

                It's like being back in high school, I've studied so much lately and read so many articles, I'm not sure of any of my mental notes I made now......

                CF
                Truth is the cement that holds the bricks and stones of a sane and civilized society together. Remove the former and the latter will crumble.

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                • #9
                  Re: Keeping higher pH with driftwood?

                  actually CC dissolves and will raise it all along with buffering it to keep it from crashing.
                  700g Mini-Monster tank

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                  • #10
                    Re: Keeping higher pH with driftwood?

                    Will Calcium Carbonate do the same thing?  I saw some stuff called Aragonite as well as some stuff called Calcium Carbonate but didn't know which one to get.  Both were in the marine section so I didn't get either because I wasn't sure. Went home and did a major water change in 4 out of the 6 tanks that I have.  Seems the pH was pretty low in all 4 of my more established tanks regardless of what decorations were in the tanks.  Is it normal for pH to drop over time that drastically.  I tested the water out of the tap and it was well into the 7.2+ range.  Also, when I add either of the above to raise and buffer the pH, do I add it straight to the tank or media bag it and put it in the filter???

                    Thanks again for all of your help!!!!

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                    • #11
                      Re: Keeping higher pH with driftwood?

                      To my knowledge, aragonite is calcium carbonate. You can add it to tank  OR put it in a media bag. I used it as a substrate in one of my tanks.
                      Scarecrow : I haven't got a brain... only straw.
                      Dorothy : How can you talk if you haven't got a brain?
                      Scarecrow: I don't know... But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking... don't they?
                      Dorothy: Yes, I guess you're right.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Keeping higher pH with driftwood?

                        Scarecrow : I haven't got a brain... only straw.
                        Dorothy : How can you talk if you haven't got a brain?
                        Scarecrow: I don't know... But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking... don't they?
                        Dorothy: Yes, I guess you're right.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Keeping higher pH with driftwood?

                          Just to make sure, are you using any new products on your tanks? As in, did you buy a new kind of dechlorinator, or something? Strange that all of your tanks would be significantly lower.

                          I agree, either aragonite or calcium carbonate, same difference.  :)
                          "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

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                          • #14
                            Re: Keeping higher pH with driftwood?

                            The newer tanks were set up about two weeks ago.  Dechlorinator was the same as the older tanks.  The four that are lower have been set up for close to a year now.  Water changes are fairly regular.

                            Is there a ratio as in oz.'s or lbs./ gallons that I need to go by when adding the aragonite or carbonate?

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                            • #15
                              Re: Keeping higher pH with driftwood?

                              A tap PH of 7.2 seems awefully low for the area as well. Tap PH typically for the area is about 8.2. As for buffering and increasing the hardness, not only add the crushed coral, but get a box of baking soda as well. Add a couple tablespoons of baking soda to the water to increase your buffing capability. If your PH is falling that much in the course of regular water change intervals you have no buffering capacity.
                              Increasing your buffer is always a good idea, no matter what the PH. The deeper the buffer zone, the less likely the water will make drastic changes in PH. Think of it like taking a sip from a shot glass, or a sip from a bucket. The sip from the shotglass is going to be far more noticable than the sip from the bucket in overall content. A buffer is much the same. You bounce a small factor like driftwood off a tank with little to no buffer and the PH drops like a rock, but take the same tank with a decent buffer and the PH doesn't change at all.
                              There are other factors that could be affecting your PH as well, such as stocking densities. The more crowded the tank, the more you feed. The more you feed, the more waste in the water. The more waste, the more particulate matter to decompose. The more decomposing particulate matter, the more your PH will be driven down. Thats why almond leaves, peat moss, and driftwood are so common in low PH setups. As they decompose, they in turn lower the PH of the water. In the case of these 3 items they also release tannic acid which drives the PH even lower, as well as gives your water that nice yellow tint.
                              Crap, this post has wandered all over the place. Get some crushed coral and some baking soda and be done with it, short answer.
                              Consider my posts as general information based on personal experiences, and in most cases, far oversimplified. Actual mileage may vary. Don't try this at home. If symptoms persist, contact your physician.

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