# Will any substrate lower pH long-term?



## PickieBee (Oct 29, 2014)

Will probably end up going with pool filter sand, but before I get started I want to find out if there's any pH lowering substrate that lasts longer than just a few months. My 8+ pH water could stand to be lower, but I'm not willing to tear up my tank every few months to change the substrate. Thanks!


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

What is the KH in the water? 

Most of the montmorillonite clays will remove the KH, and this allows the pH to drop.
To further drop the pH you can also add peat moss to the filter or pre-treatment. 

Yes, the substrates that do this can get full. 

How to get around that:
Use these materials to pre-treat your water. This will also make the conditions more stable for the fish.
Run your tap water into a barrel and run a pump (fountain pump, air pump, power head...) to circulate it. Dump into the barrel several pounds of Safe-T-Sorb or other. Monitor the KH and pH. When it meets your needs, use that water. 
Material will be good for quite a few water changes, but eventually you will have to replace it. 
If you are keeping black water fish you can add peat moss to that, but it will drift in the water if you just use it loose. I keep it in a nylon stocking. 1 knee-hi stocking treats many garbage cans of water before it needs replacing.


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## PickieBee (Oct 29, 2014)

Diana said:


> Run your tap water into a barrel and run a pump (fountain pump, air pump, power head...) to circulate it. Dump into the barrel several pounds of Safe-T-Sorb or other. Monitor the KH and pH. When it meets your needs, use that water.


 

That sounds great. Now anybody got any tips on talking my wife into letting me keep a big barrel of water in the garage? 

When you do it this way, how are you bringing the barrel water up to the right temp for the aquarium? Wouldn't topping off with hot tapwater change the pH all over again?


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Depends on what is in the water. 

I just did this yesterday:
Fill a 5 gallon bucket to 4 gallons with rain water. 
Add 1 gallon of hot water out of the tap. Few drops of dechlor.
Net result:
GH and KH about 1 degree (tap water normally has GH and KH about 4-5 degrees)

Do 50% water changes on some tanks. Tanks had been topped off with tap water through the summer, and GH and KH had gone up to about 6-7. 
Now the GH and KH is around 3 degrees. (just ran out there and tested it)

Other ways I have done this:
Put rain water or RO water on the stove in a large roast pan (covers 2 burners). Bring to a boil. Add this to a garbage can of cold water. Usually takes about 2 roast pans to make it room temperature, one more to make it into the upper 70s.


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## Midnighttide102 (Oct 2, 2014)

Wow if your wife won't even let you keep water in the garage your in trouble : )


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## FatherLandDescendant (Jul 24, 2014)

PickieBee said:


> That sounds great. Now anybody got any tips on talking my wife into letting me keep a big barrel of water in the garage?
> 
> When you do it this way, how are you bringing the barrel water up to the right temp for the aquarium? Wouldn't topping off with hot tapwater change the pH all over again?


If you use a 55gal barrel you can buy a barrel warmer, or AKA a drum warmer, though some are a tad pricy. They come in many varieties from full drum (like an electric blanket) warmers, to a band warmer (like a belt) that is 6" wide. 

http://www.grainger.com/category/dr...-handling/ecatalog/N-9rs?redirect=Drum+heater


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## Midnighttide102 (Oct 2, 2014)

I use to age my water in a 55 gal plastic drum with a 300W heater thrown in & a small fountain pump to keep it circulated worked out great for years


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Since my stove is gas, and aquarium heaters are electric, I find it more economical to bring the water close to the right temperature on the stove. 
I have used an aquarium heater to maintain the temperature until I am ready to refill the tank.


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## PickieBee (Oct 29, 2014)

Midnighttide102 said:


> Wow if your wife won't even let you keep water in the garage your in trouble : )


True story, my friend 

Bump: Thanks for the input, everyone! Rainwater isn't an option where I live--the measly few millimeters per year that I get are precious to my xeriscaping-- but the aging barrel idea sounds good.

I think my plan will be to try to acclimate the fish I want to my 8.1 pH first, and if that fails then start down the treacherous road of changing pH.


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