Discus buffer or other ways to lower pH

[fiftycal]

I originally intended to use HCl and bicarb to get my pH to around 6.8. However, after hearing some stories about pH crashes, I am not so sure.

Has anyone used discus buffer? How well does it keep the pH stable? How much do you generally use?

Is it easier just to use neutral regulator, since 7.0 is good enough?

What other alternatives are there?

[Robdog]

What kind of substrate have you got in there Fitty?

[fiftycal]

Eco complete with pool filter sand on top.

I have a bunch of driftwood in there too

[Robdog]

The DW migth help a little but only a little. Somehow my tank stays at around 6.4 so I don't have to add anything but a few people round here swear by the discus buffer I think.
I used to filter through peat a while ago but started finding my ph down around 4.5. Nothing seemed stressed at all as I guess it was such a gradual drop and I never had many disease probs.

[fiftycal]

Problem is, my tap water is about 8.4. I need something to lower the pH before I put it in the tank.

[samir]

use phosphoric acid.

[viobank]

Problem is, my tap water is about 8.4. I need something to lower the pH before I put it in the tank.

use sera pH-minus safely lowers the pH value in freshwater aquariums. It is easy to dose.
In case of pH values above 7.0 and KH values above 6 °dKH add 5 ml sera pH-minus per 20 litres of aquarium water. In case of pH values of 7.0 or lower and/or KH values below 6 °dKH add 1 - 2 ml sera pH-minus per 20 litres of water. Check the pH and KH values again after 12 hours. Repeat the addition if necessary.

[FishLover]

I use discus buffer without any problems.

Two tsp per gallon. I started with 1 tsp per gallon and found out it was not enough to keep pH stable so I added one more. It depends on your water. You have to try it out and monitor the result over few days. You also need to add some directly into the tank for the first time too.

After that, just use it for the replacement water will be fine. I use a container to mix it with my new water using an air pump (no airstone since some of the airstone will leach Ca out and increase pH). The water get cloudy for about few minutes and clean up after that. I leave it with the air pump running for about 20 minutes while I drain and clean my tank. Then I just pump it into my tank.

[SandyLynne]

I use discus buffer in every water change. My water used to be very stable & come out of the tap at 6.6 - 6.8 but now it has been coming out at 7.8 - 8.0.

I live on the Central coast and our dam level is at 12% so I wonder if they are doing something different to the water or maybe we are getting water from other areas?

Discus buffer keeps all of my tanks & water aging bin very stable, but I always check water before I add it to the tanks then check my tanks before and after a water change.

[martraci]

i too am looking for a way to lower ph but without using a phosphoric base (algae control) or peat; ideas?

does anyone know if something like Geo Liquid/Saechem product can do this (without phosphorus)?

[k9outfit]

Pool pH down. Contains Sodium bisulphate, therefore no algea blooms. And it's dirt cheap to boot; I'm paying ~ $6.00 CDN for 3 kg of the stuff.

[martraci]

k9outfit: any particular brand your using?

[k9outfit]

"Aquarius"; I buy it at Canadian Tire (a store which I suspect you may not readily find Down Under? :wink: ), but any larger store with a pool section should have some pH down. If worse comes to worse, you should be able to find some at a pool/hot tub type store, though probably at double the cost. Still, would be a whole bunch cheaper than using Discus buffer.

[DiscusEden]

You could add CO2 - but not cheap.

[Robdog]

I buy it at Canadian Tire (a store which I suspect you may not readily find Down Under? :wink: )

The nearest we have to Canadian Tire would be Kmart but they have a serious lack of weapons, ammunition and GT Snowracers. :lol:

[benanddebbie]

Hi

Seachem make a product called Acid Buffer - the label reads as follows "Acid Buffer is a non-phosphate buffer to lower pH and buffer with Alkaline Buffer. Both buffers are designed for the planted aquarium or very hard water where phosphate buffers may pose an algae or cloudiness problem. As acid buffer lowers pH ir converts carbonate alkalinity (KH) into available CO2."

Don't be heavy handed with this stuff though you don't need much.

HTH

[flaggy]

I buy it at Canadian Tire (a store which I suspect you may not readily find Down Under?

You can buy 3kg of Sodium Bisulphate for about $14 from online shops which sell pool/spa chemicals. PQ brand (Premium Quality), Aussie company. 375g decreases the total alkalinity of a 25,000 litre pool by 10ppm.

I also got some Sodium Thiosulphate crystals from the same company. It is the active ingredient in dechlorinators.

I bought these only to use as part of the Purigen regeneration process. Much cheaper than to use Prime and then buffers as suggested by Seachem.

[fiftycal]

What company did u get them from? Good idea for regenerating Purigen. I wont risk it for discus but purigen needs a HELL of alot of prime and buffers

[mistakes r crucial]

Hi Flaggy,

I use the crystals, just a couple of things I've found. I was told that Sodium Thiasulphate gets rid of Chlorine and Chloramine but some of the papers I've read say otherwise, Chlorine only. I've also found it takes the Kh of my water from 1 to 10 on occasions so it could be an issue with breeders. Other than that it's great, cheap and it works.
MAC

[flaggy]

Hi MAC

For my fish tanks, I always use Prime. It seems safer and more assuring. I only use Sodium thiosulphate for getting rid of the chlorine from the bleach used to regenerate Purigen as I found I had to use heaps of Prime to do this.

Cheers

[mistakes r crucial]

Fair enough.
MAC