# Do you adjust your water parameters?



## TheYellowDart (May 3, 2010)

Howdy,

I have a cycled, 23 gallon long, lightly planted tank with 11 cardinal tetras in it. Not sure if they're farm raised or wild caught. Been running for about a month and a half and the pH has been a steady 7.8. Same pH as my tap water here in Vancouver. I don't add anything to my water except prime during water changes.

Do many people here adjust their pH lower to better suit their tetras or other acidic water fish? I believe the pH has been rising over the years in Metro Vancouver tap water with an end goal of a pH of 8.

Will my tank pH drop over the next few months since the water here is supposed to be soft?

Thanks in advance!


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Wow. I'm surprised your vancouver water is out of the tap at 7.8. I know a few of us are looking at more like 6.8 out of the tap in Vancouver 

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## TheYellowDart (May 3, 2010)

Maybe my API kit is testing a little high? But it's still above 7 according to City of Vancouver testing.

http://app.vancouver.ca/EngWaterQuality_Net/Default.aspx


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

That's interesting. I wonder if there's others that might chime in. I don't think I've seen many posts with our local pH being mid 7's, ever.


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## jasmine (Nov 9, 2015)

Last time I checked my tap tests 6.6-6.8 in the lower mainland. I've definitely never gotten anything above 7 


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## cpat83 (Sep 1, 2015)

Do you live in a high rise building that has a water quality system in place?


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## TheYellowDart (May 3, 2010)

Nope, I live in a bungalow built in 1956. Copper pipes where I can see them. Weird how everybody is still getting pH levels below 7.0 when the COV tests show above 7.0 at all their testing stations. Maybe I need to let the tap water sit for longer before I test it so any gases can escape first?


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## knucklehead (Dec 27, 2013)

Same with me, usually my PH is around 6.6


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## Geoffrey (Jun 24, 2015)

TheYellowDart said:


> Nope, I live in a bungalow built in 1956. Copper pipes where I can see them. Weird how everybody is still getting pH levels below 7.0 when the COV tests show above 7.0 at all their testing stations. Maybe I need to let the tap water sit for longer before I test it so any gases can escape first?


 But the main gas that would affect pH in our tap water is CO2, which would lower the pH.

I don't alter my pH, or at least not directly, but I do raise my GH and KH since our water is practically 0.


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## AquaAddict (Dec 4, 2010)

Here in North Vancouver my water out of the tap tests at 7.3 to 7.5. It used to be 8.0 to 8.5.

I talked to a Metro Vancouver official that overseas our water purity and pH: it is set at 7.0 approx.; she said whatever the pH is coming out of our taps is due to the local pipes.

My aquarium water is always trying to rise up to 7.6 and I try and keep it down to a max of 7.4 with Acid Buffer.

AquaAddict


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## Geoffrey (Jun 24, 2015)

Really? Whenever I test, it comes out as 7 after I gassed it off.


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