Re: Re: Suggestions for making water more acidic?

[Lcrabo@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/26/2000 7:45:27 AM, you wrote:

<<>  Any other suggestions on how to safely lower the pH?
>  
Try one of the following-
1)  Sphagnum peat moss or Fluval peat pellets; I put it in a box filter and 
let it bubble.  Some folks just stick it in the toe of an old nylon and let 
it "steep" like tea, only it takes a lot longer(days).
2)  Oak or beech leaves.  Dry brown ones off the ground.  just layer the 
bottom of the tank.
    Either of the above methods will also soften the water.  Hardness is also 
a factor here.
3)  Muriatic acid from a hardware store.  This is 31% hydrochloric.  It 
stinks something awful and is too strong to use straight.  Mix one quart of 
muriatic with 3 gallons of water.  Then use it sparingly.  Start at 2 drops 
per gallon, measure the pH, and don't be surprized if the next day the pH is 
back up.  This is alkalinity, and must be overcome to make a permanent change 
in pH effective.  Eventually, it will stay down.

Bob Dixon>>

I have recently started to use Seachem acid buffer.  I have soft water, but 
it has stayed alkaline despite leaves, peat (I probably didn't change often 
enough), and bogwood.  I have successfully adjusted the pH of my Apisto tanks 
to ~6, and a checkerboard tank to less than six, the limit of my test kit.  
Last week the checkerboards spawned, and today I noticed that an older pair 
of norberti spawned after nearly a year of no such luck.  I think the buffer 
works.  I used a trial and error method similar to Bob's.  Start with a 
little, see what happens over the next few days, etc.

Lars


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