High pH in Tap Water, Is It Good Or Bad? Options

[chugin]

Dear All,

I am a relative newbie and have just started keeping goldfishes again after a break of a few years. Got some small ranchus last week and housing them in a 4 ft. tub. Running 2 cannisters- 1 x Eheim 2215 & 1 x Atman 3336.

I have tried searching the forum but I don't seem to find what I need. My question is:

My tap water's pH is 8.7. Is this a bit on the high side for ranchus? Do I need to bring down the pH and buffer?
What would be the best method in this particular case. Reading from previous postings here, I gather that the saturation point of BS is 8.4. So would buffering with BS in this instance be a waste of time? I am very confused!! Really need some advice cos I don't want to end up with dead fishes. Right now, they seem to do doing fine.

If the answers to my queries have been dealt with before, I offer my most sincere apologies but I hope that someone would be kind enough to point me to the relevant thread.

Thank you.

[CP]

pH 8.7 is OK. Just ensure that when you change water, the pH of the old tank water is near to the pH of the new tap water.

Maybe this thread can help.
http://www.rafflesgold.com/forums/index.ph...ic=2153&hl=

[chugin]

pH 8.7 is OK. Just ensure that when you change water, the pH of the old tank water is near to the pH of the new tap water.

Maybe this thread can help.
http://www.rafflesgold.com/forums/index.ph...ic=2153&hl=

Hi CP,

Thank you so much for your response. Anyway, I just bought a Sera kH test kit and it took 8 drops to turn my tub water yellow. That means I have a kH of 8. Is this OK?


Cheers!

[bekko]

About the only safe ways to lower alkalinity and pH is with a water softener or reverse osmosis unit. Unless you wanted softer water for the whole house it is probably not worth the effort. Do not be tempted to use the acid solutions which are sold to lower the pH because you will end up with a lot of pH fluctuation. Your high pH is better than wildly fluctuating pH.

-steve

[chugin]

About the only safe ways to lower alkalinity and pH is with a water softener or reverse osmosis unit. Unless you wanted softer water for the whole house it is probably not worth the effort. Do not be tempted to use the acid solutions which are sold to lower the pH because you will end up with a lot of pH fluctuation. Your high pH is better than wildly fluctuating pH.

-steve

Hi Bekko,

Thanks for your feedback. I agree with you; a high pH is better than a wildly fluctuating one. So I'll do what CP advised and make sure that both the old water and new water are about the same pH during water change or alternatively I was thinking of doing a 100% WC.


Regards.