newts in high pH (9-9.5, alkaline) conditions

[Izzy10963]

I live in the Boston, MA area of the USA and our water supplier says the pH of the water it provides is about 9 to 9.5:

https://www.mwra.com/01news/2015/lynn-water/chloramines-qa.pdf

" Here are some tips for those with aquariums and fish ponds.
• Test the pH level of your tank at least once per week and adjust it accordingly
• Most fish prefer a pH between 6 and 6.8, but you may want to find out the preferred pH
of your particular fish. MWRA water will be at a level of 9 to 9.5, slightly alkaline.
• Make sure the additives you buy for your tank remove chloramines -‐ not just chlorine.
• Amphibians may also be impacted by these changes so if you have a frog, newt or
salamander, talk to a pet professional. "

I know that the "sticky post" here in the newts section of caudata.org, for "need an answer fast", says that most tap water supplies will have pH that is an acceptable range for newts.

If I need to provide newts with a lower pH I realize I could buy a treatment and apply it each time I do a tank fill or a water change, but this seems like a real hassle-- and also prone to causing unpredictable pH swings (which might possibly be as hard on newts as having a high pH in the first place)-- so I'd like to avoid it. I believe that "spring water" one can buy, for example at the grocery store, has a more neutral pH of about 7.

So here are my questions:

1. Does the "tap water is generally fine" guidance still apply for pH as high as 9 to 9.5?

2. If not, would buying and using spring water (instead of tap water) be a good solution?

Thank you in advance for any guidance you can offer. Love this caudata.org website and community!

 

[JM29]

pH 9 to 9,5 !
I'd say : frankly alkaline
To give an idea, french norms say a pH above 9 is not acceptable for tap water.
On a chemical point of vue, the pKa for ammonia/ammonium is 9,25. It means that at a pH of 9,25, half of the ammonia will be free ammonia (very toxic for aquatic life).
Most aquatic plants wont grow well at these values.

That said, to begin, test yourself your tap water pH. My town says our tap water has a pH of 8,2 but I measured 7,5 with a professionnal electronic pH-meter. Water pH can vary a lot within the day or the year.

If the case is hopeless, try rainwater instead.

 

[Izzy10963]

I tested it myself and it was off the top of the scale (admittedly not a high precision test kit, max of 7.6-7.8) which is consistent with what the utility says.

 

[Izzy10963]

Okay I guess nobody else (other than you JM29-- thanks!) is available now to comment on this, who has suitable experience or expertise.
That's fine.

I think for now, unless I hear from others, I will conclude that:
* "tap water is fine" probably does NOT apply to my ~9 pH water, and
* I should use spring water or rain water instead.

 

[JM29]

* I should use spring water or rain water instead.

Rain water alone may be too poor, too soft, but you can use it to soften your tap water (try 50/50 in a bottle and measure the final pH).
The GH is probably also very high.

 

[Izzy10963]

Turns out the tap water is actually soft, meaning low GH

Frequently Asked Questions About Drinking Water