The company that provides my water is switching sources in a couple of weeks, and there will be a drastic pH difference.
Currently, my pH out of the tap, and in my tank, is 6.4. They're saying the pH after the switch over is going to be 8.2.
My tank is a heavily planted 20 gallon with zebra danios, a bristle nose pleco, and tons of neocaridina shrimp. I'd have to tear down the tank to catch all the inhabitants to do a drip acclimation, would be a major pain, which I'd like to avoid.
I have 2 50 gallon rubbermaid trash cans that I've filled with the current 6.4pH water.
My normal water change is 5 gallons, 25%, every week. When they do finally switch the water source over, I was thinking of doing a water change with 4 gallons of the 6.4pH water, and 1 gallon of the 8.2pH water. Do that for 2 weeks. Then do water changes with 3 gallons of the 6.4pH water, and 2 gallons of the 8.2pH water. Do that for a couple of weeks. Then 2 gallons of 6.4pH, and 3 gallons of 8.2ph. Then continue that trend until I'm just using 5 gallons of 8.2pH water.
Would that be too quick of a pH change?
I know I could buy an RO system, then buffer my water down, but I'd like to just be able to use my water out of the tap without having to add chemicals all the time.
Thanks in advance.