Bogwood to lower ph???

Question

I have dicuss neon and cardinal tetra in my tank all have been happy for months but ph has been steady at 7.4 but would like to reduce it slightly with out the use of chemicals would bog wood be the best way or has anyone else got a better idea many thanks :-)

Answer 1

i am the same i hate use chemicals in my tank, and i use bog wood sure it doesn't work as good has the chemicals but it should get it lower

Answer 2

Yes, bog wood will help to lower the pH in a fairly natural way by slowly releasing acidic tannins into the water. It not an exact science, so you may need to adjust the amount of wood in the tank to get the results you want.

You can also use peat moss (from a garden centre), just put some in a bag and hang it by the filter outlet. You can adjust the amount of peat in the bag to change the effect.

Both will tend to stain the water a bit brown, it may even look like very weak tea, but this wont harm the fish. The water in their natural environment is usually stained brown by the wood and leaves that have fallen in it anyway.

Ian