I have no idea what I am doing

[Tlmcq]

I am trying to get my pH straightened out. Our tap water is almost off the charts high when testing with the api kit. I added some peat to try to bring it down, and it's working, but my fish is swimming around in tea colored water (apparently a good thing for a betta anyway), just bought a light hood, and will likely be draining the tank and putting peat UNDER the gravel to keep working on the pH without it floating everywhere and gunking up the filter. I also have about 9 moss balls in there and one little baby plant that I don't know what it is, but it was marketed as a "betta plant" and was 3 little bulbs in the pack, only one has come up, so I need to dig the other 2 up before they rot...

Driftwood is also good for ph lowering. Soak it water a day or so first to prevent yellow water. Do you have the fish in already? Decreasing amount of oxygen you are putting out can lower pH too. Just want to make sure you do this very slowly if fish are in tank as they have to have oxygen so finding proper zone with the fish in tank is more difficult. How big is your tank? What type of filter and aeration are you using? If your tap water is causing the high pH try not to do as many water changes or lower volume of water changes. You can also lower the pH of the tap water before adding to your tank, which will be much easier due to amount of oxygen before putting in tank.

 

[Tlmcq]

Sorry for the thread hijacking Steven..lol, but hey I guess ya never know if any of this can be useful when dealing with putting in new pond also.

 

[mobius]

My well water has a higher pH than neutral, so I would off gas it by leaving it out over night before doing water changes. That brought the pH to normal (same as leaving out city water overnight to offgas the chlorine).

And I think ponds are like aquariums, only outside and easier (to a point) cause larger!

 

[Steven Mazzo]

Sorry for the thread hijacking Steven..lol, but hey I guess ya never know if any of this can be useful when dealing with putting in new pond also.

How could I ever complain. That is what this is for we all Help each other

 

[Leighe]

Following...

 

[Kusanar]

Driftwood is also good for ph lowering. Soak it water a day or so first to prevent yellow water. Do you have the fish in already? Decreasing amount of oxygen you are putting out can lower pH too. Just want to make sure you do this very slowly if fish are in tank as they have to have oxygen so finding proper zone with the fish in tank is more difficult. How big is your tank? What type of filter and aeration are you using? If your tap water is causing the high pH try not to do as many water changes or lower volume of water changes. You can also lower the pH of the tap water before adding to your tank, which will be much easier due to amount of oxygen before putting in tank.

It's a 20 gallon with 1 betta. I'm already only doing a water change every 3-4 months or whenever i need to do something different with the tank and need it empty to work on it. The fish is moved to a 1 gallon while I play with the big tank so he's fine, but I don't like leaving him over there long because no heater or filter.

I just burried about half a gallon of peat moss UNDER his gravel and so far the water is clear, not sure about the parameters yet. Haven't tested since then.

 

[Steven Mazzo]

My little girl

 

[sannabelle]

Oh my goodness!! She's so beautiful!!

Daddy's gonna need a gun!

 

[Steven Mazzo]

Oh my goodness!! She's so beautiful!!

Daddy's gonna need a gun!

Some days I just can't believe how sweet and loving she can be. Kisses all day and watching tv on my lap for hours and then there are days like today.....chuckie or jaws Annabelle lmao take your pick.

 

[mobius]

How does Lucky give kisses? So curious! She is ADORABLE!