Really high ph

[crickit785]

I have had my 10 gallon tank setup for about two and a half weeks now.I was beginning to start my cycle when I tested my PH and found that it was high 8.9-9.2 I do not think it is anything in the tank that is causing the high pH, since I tested the water right out of the tap and it is about a 9 as well. I do not want to add my ammonia source quite yet if I am going to have to find a different water source and drain the tank anyway. Any suggestions?

 

[Jennewt]

You may find that adding an ammonia source will bring down the pH some. The other thing you can do is to add some peat moss - enclose it inside a nylon stocking ("panty hose" material). It will turn your water slightly brown, but this is harmless. Live plants in the tank may also help moderate the pH and speed the cycling process.

 

[Boomsloth]

You may find that adding an ammonia source will bring down the pH some. The other thing you can do is to add some peat moss - enclose it inside a nylon stocking ("panty hose" material). It will turn your water slightly brown, but this is harmless. Live plants in the tank may also help moderate the pH and speed the cycling process.

I tried to find other ways to bring pH down that are safe for axolotls and there really isn't much besides peat moss or buying a RO system.
Peat moss is the best option because it lowers pH and helps buffer the tank. I'm thinking that maybe this member should try also keeping peat moss in her water from the tap overnight to prevent it from causing a pH rise when adding to her tank. Is this okay logic? I'm thinking about this for after she adds her axolotls.

 

[crickit785]

Ok thanks I will try the peat moss. I'm think I will start useing ro water aswell. I read somewhere on here that ro process takes important ions out of the water that are needed?

 

[Boomsloth]

Ok thanks I will try the peat moss. I'm think I will start useing ro water aswell. I read somewhere on here that ro process takes important ions out of the water that are needed?

Unless you get an RO system thats calibrated to what you need, its going to take constant testing and calculating to figure out how much minerals to put back in. Axolotls prefer hard water and those important ions are needed for many biological functions.
I found this forum for aquariums and this post goes into detail about water hardness and pH.
Water Hardness and pH in the Freshwater Aquarium

I've been looking at other threads on other sites and found that most people agree against chemical buffers/pH up or down. They also generally say that peat moss helps lower and buffer the tank but you still need to monitor the pH because it eventually stops being effective and be replaced. Adding tap water mixed with RO water is also brought up but it must be done carefully because you basically have to constantly be mixing the right amount of each to match your tank. Also too much peat moss can lower your pH too fast too low which isn't good either. I would start with the peat most and look into getting an electronic pH meter so you have a more reliable source that doesn't need to keep being bought.

 

[JoshBA]

You could also add a bunch of driftwood to the tank. The wood will leach tannins for a long time, and so will help maintain a more consistant ph. This technique would also be less of a hassle than peat because you wouldn't have to constantly change it, but probably wouldn't cause a more gradual ph change than peat. With that being said, I would suggest using peat initially to lower the ph, but then using wood to keep it low. Also soaking peat in the water for a day before a water change would help to match the ph in the tank. Just be aware your water will indefinately tea colored. I actually happen to mix eaxactly 25% RO/distilled water in with my extremely hard well water to soften it slightly. This is mostly to make it easier for plants to grow, and to cut down on mineral marks on the glass in my terrestrial vivariums. I essentially started this with a planted tank a while ago, and have been doing it with all of my tanks since. I keep a mark on a 5 gallon bucket at the 3 gallon point, and then dump in a gallon of distilled water.