Re: WATER pH/hardness/conductivity

[IDMiamiBob@aol.com]

I haven't seen a response to this yet, so I'll give it a shot.

Bill writes:

> I know everyone has been through this question but there are a couple of us 
> that would like to hear about soft water and how it is produced and
maintained.
>  My water has a pH of 7.5 and hardness of about 50ppm.  

Water with a hardness of less than 80 ppm is considered soft already,
certainly soft enough for the vast majority of SA  or West Af. cichlids.  The
higher than usual pH is caused probably by buffers in the water.  It could be
carbonates or phosphates, or any of a half a dozen other less common cations
which will break down in the presesnce of acids.  The cabonate level is also
refered to as buffering level, or as alkalinity, which is  the ability to
resist reductions in pH.

> I don't understand  the water hardness enough to give a better discreption
then that.  I  >use peat granules made by Hagen packaged for the Fluval
filters in my Aqua Clear 
> filter and run about half RO, half tap water in a 25% water change a week.
I 
> have started to add Tetra Blackwater Extract with each water exchange.

The peat granules and the Blackwater extract work exactly the same way, in
that they both introduce tannins and humics to the water.  Using both is
redundant.  Plus you cut the hardness and the alkalinity in half by using half
RO.  Tannins and humics also work to reduce both hardness and alkalinity, and
they increase acidity.  

>  My problem is this:  Once I start to bring the pH down it seems to come
down 
> gradually (over two or three week period) until it settles at about 5.0.  I 
> would like to set the pH at 6.0 in one tank and 6.5 in another, but haven't 
> yet been able to hold the pH for very long at anything other then 7.5 and
5.0.

This is because your efforts at softening are too agressive.  I suggest
knocking off either the peat or the Blackwater Extract.  If you mix 50% RO,
you could use a diluted acid, such as hydrochloric or sulphuric, and not use
either one.

>  I have Microgeophagus ramirezi and they are spawning every two weeks, but
I've 
> never had eggs hatch. I had taken the water in the spawning ram tank down 
> to 5.0 with no difference in behavior nor egg hatching.  Then I was told
that 
> these rams were spawned and hatched at 6.5.  I have slowly moved the pH back
> up by using less RO during water exchanges.  I need to learn how to maintain
> a specific pH and hold the hardness down.  Or maybe I need to be doing 
> something completely different.

See above.

>  I have other rams from another source that were spawned a 5.0 but raised in
> 7.0 tap water but they haven't yet spawned.  I only mention the rams because
> someone may have specific advise on their water requirements.  I've been
told 
> that a pH of 5.0 for rams that are use to 6.5 or 7.0 is much too low, sounds
> right to me.

I can't offer any advice on Rams.  Sorry.

Bob Dixon


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