Acidic Water

[leighton]

Hi,

We introduced a PVC half-pipe and plastic plant to one of our axolotl tanks about a week ago, and have seen a drop in pH from 6.5 to around 5. Do any of you have a suggestion for a possible mechanism for this? Or is it likely to be a coincidence?

[jennifer]

I can say with near-certainty that it's not caused by the PVC or plastic plant. Things like wood or moss can drop the pH. If you have soft water, pH can drop due to normal bacterial processes (cycling) in the tank.

You can try doing extra water changes, but in my experience this won't get the pH to change much. You might want to try keeping a limestone rock or some Calci-Sand (calcium carbonate sand) in the tank or in the filter.

[edward]

I agree with Jennifer.
Ed

[leighton]

Thanks for the help, I'll keep my eye open for some limestone - there should be plenty around here. We did a water-change that eased the problem a little, but we have yet to see how long the effect lasts...

[colin]

you could try asking for tufa rock at a local aquarium store, that does the same thing