# pH is up to 9! Ways to drop it?



## Jaap (Jun 24, 2005)

I have a 30 gallon tank (120 litres) with the following setup for the past 4 years:

1. Layers of substrate and fine gravel, which I don't know what the substrate is.
2. A driftwood
3. 3 species of plants that are hardy since they are the only plants that managed to survive a period where I completely neglected the tank. One of the species is Valesneria I think which is a fast grower, green leaved long plant. The other specie I think is Baby Tears or something. Forgive me for I do not know the names of the three species of plant I have for 3 years now.
4. Just purchased 4 mollies and recently one of them gave birth to around 20 babies.
5. kH 4
6. pH 8 - 9 
7. One 25 watt Arcadia fluorescent lamp (Pink colour)
8. Two 25 watt Arcadia fluorescent lamp (White colour)
9. The tank has no top and the lamps are adjusted 30 cm above water level, where the depth of the tank is around 42 cm
10. Due to the hot climate in the summer, now my tank has a temperature of 31 degrees celcius and is not exposed to any sunlight at all.

How can I lower the pH? The tank is running for 2 weeks now, is that enough time for pH to begin to drop? Does pH really begin to drop as soon as the tank is established? 

PS: my local water here is pH 9


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

Add CO2.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

If you don't want to get into yeast-generated CO2 or CO2 from a tank, you can lower the light level, add more fish, feed the fish more, replace some or most of the water with rain water, or try reverse osmosis on the local water.


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## Jaap (Jun 24, 2005)

HeyPK said:


> If you don't want to get into yeast-generated CO2 or CO2 from a tank, you can lower the light level, add more fish, feed the fish more, replace some or most of the water with rain water, or try reverse osmosis on the local water.


I want to decrease pH though the tank's ecosystem thus through more fish and feeding as you said....what would be a good number of mollies in my 30 galllon tank that is begining to fill up with plants everywhere?


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

I agree with the add Co2 -- if the lights are high and there is insufficient co2 for the plants, they will continue to take what co2 is in the water -- which can drive ph levels up.


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## zig (Jul 3, 2005)

Add bogwood or any driftwood that contains tannins, this will naturally lower the Ph over time as it acidifys the water.

Peat will also drop your Ph as it also acidifys water.


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

Thanks Deb, I hadn't thought about it, but you're right. 

hadjici, I know it's counter-intuitive, but try adding Calcium Carbonate to your tank. With all that light and no CO2 your plants are likely getting carbon through Biogenic Decalcification and that will raise the pH. Do they have any white spots on their leaves?


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

if you can get your hands on a bunch of water sprite, take out all your Vallisneria and replace it with the water sprite. Vallisneria is more efficient at getting CO2 out of the water, and can raise the pH higher than water sprite can. Vallisneria can utilize the bicarbonate ion, HCO3-, removing CO2 and leaving behind OH- (hydroxide), which raises the pH way up there. Water sprite can not utilize the bicarbonate ion directly, and depends on free CO2 in the water. Removing CO2 can raise the pH indirectly, but not nearly as much as bicarbonate utilization.


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