# Use Stratum to lower PH?



## Paaron (Apr 25, 2016)

Recently started a 5 g using Fluval Stratum. Too early to know whether the plants like it, but the PH is lower than tanks without it (dropped roughly from 7.0 to about 6.4?). I would like to use this material to also lower the PH in a discus tank. I am thinking of using the Fluval Stratum under Eco-Complete (maybe even containing it in mesh bags?)

Does anyone here think this will work? Thanks from a newbie


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## Paaron (Apr 25, 2016)

Bump

I am also just starting with injected C02- am I correct that this also lowers PH?


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## latchdan (Sep 7, 2007)

I think it will only lower ph for a time till it's exhausted. Discus tank require frequency wc i doubt it could keep up or the ph will "yoyo" which would be bad.

Co2 does lower ph but from my understanding it isn't the same.


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## jaliberti (Dec 5, 2015)

Paaron said:


> Recently started a 5 g using Fluval Stratum. Too early to know whether the plants like it, but the PH is lower than tanks without it (dropped roughly from 7.0 to about 6.4?). I would like to use this material to also lower the PH in a discus tank. I am thinking of using the Fluval Stratum under Eco-Complete (maybe even containing it in mesh bags?)
> 
> Does anyone here think this will work? Thanks from a newbie





latchdan said:


> I think it will only lower ph for a time till it's exhausted. Discus tank require frequency wc i doubt it could keep up or the ph will "yoyo" which would be bad.
> 
> Co2 does lower ph but from my understanding it isn't the same.


That's right, it will only lower ph for a time till it's exhausted. Maintaining low pH (soft/acidic) is much more difficult than maintaining high pH (hard/alkaline), and also like latchdan wrote the tank will require frequent water changes. I maintain several tanks of pH ~5.5 and do small water changes every day (except for fry grow-out tanks) and replace peat moss filled nylon socks every few days. When I was maintaining ~4.5 pH large water changes were required every day.

The lower the pH the more it will fluctuate ("yoyo"), but fish which are from acidic environments (like your Discus) are more adapted to fluctuations than fish from alkaline environs. Rain, wind, bioload, evaporation, drought, all affect the pH of acidic water more so than the pH of alkaline water. Acidic water is softer, i.e. less buffered, and so is more prone to fluctuations.

Also, substrate, or any material that sinks for that matter (including waterlogged driftwood), is not as effective as materials which initially float.

It's a hassle but IMO pH is the most crucial, and most neglected, aspect in aquariums containing fish species which thrive in pH <7. Master it and you will consistently have disease-free tanks with fish which will readily breed.


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