Lowering pH with spaghnum moss

[Ben P.]

I've been researching how to lower pH, I really don't like the look of tannins and also don't want to use and chemicals to do it.  I saw a video from lrb aquatics on using spaghnum moss to lower pH naturally with no tannins.  I was wondering if anyone had tried it, and it you have, what did you think of it and did it work?

[Mmiller2001]

The easiest way to lower pH, without a buffering substrate, is to lower KH. You can lower KH buy "cuting" your source water with distilled water or RO water. You can fine tune your numbers this way. 

I've never heard of spaghnum, so can't help there, but I'd imagine you would be guessing on how much to use and how fast it would work. 

Edited August 13, 2021 by Mmiller2001

[Keeg]

Everything is made of chemicals. Spagnum moss does lower the ph but it also releases it's own tannins. A lot less than things like almond leaves or wood, but still releases them. The easiest way to lower your ph is like what @Mmiller2001 said. But the absolute easiest thing to do is to adapt your fish to your regular water parameters very slowly over time. 

[Ben P.]

Would the whole thing just be easier if I just installed an ro filter and use it on the tanks I want it for?  The fish I'm wanting to breed will not breed in my current water parameters of pH at almost 9 and kh and gh off the scales of tetra test strips.  Good old Iowa liquid concrete water

[Mmiller2001]

Long term, I think it's a solid idea. Using an RO unit will allow you to build your water any way you want to, or just have RO water on hand to cut your source water.

I would grab a GH/KH test kit so you know how much RO water to use.

[Biotope Biologist]

Rain water has a pH of about 5.6 due to CO2 acidification. This is different from acid rain. 

 

As @Keegsaid everything is chemicals. Most of the chemicals that lower different parameters use the chemicals in the water to affect parameters. 

 

As @Mmiller2001said if you want your pH lower than 6.8 you need to lower kH. Easiest way to do this is using soils that promote bacteria activity specifically organic matter decomposition. This is where sphagnum moss is used. In your case RO will likely be the most effective though.

[AlgaeIsYum]

With a pH of 9 and super high gH and kH, it's going to be insanely difficult to significantly move your pH down by adding anything other strong acids (would not recommend this, potentially deadly). On top of this, everytime you add water you'll need to counter that highly basic water again. Tannins and humic acid (what makes up the sphagnum moss) are relatively weak so won't do too much. I think your only real option is going for RO water.

Edited August 13, 2021 by AlgaeIsYum

[Ben P.]

That's kinda what I was thinking with kh and gh so high.   Does anyone have a suggestion as to what ro unit they like or have had success with? I'm thinking of using on roughly 12 tanks

[Mmiller2001]

On 8/13/2021 at 5:03 PM, Ben P. said:

That's kinda what I was thinking with kh and gh so high.   Does anyone have a suggestion as to what ro unit they like or have had success with? I'm thinking of using on roughly 12 tanks

Looks like inflation prices, but any of these.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/bulk-reverse-osmosis-filters-systems/reverse-osmosis-systems/4-stage-systems.html