Low Ph

[Ashleysangels]

I have had my discus for about 5 months now and they are all happy and healthy! We even have a breeding pair!!! I am a little worried about my PH in the tanks though. A little background about my water used in the tanks. Our Local water is HORRIBLE so we use an RODI system and I use replenish and let my water sit for about 12-24 hours before using it. Water gets to 86 degrees before it is put into our fish tanks. The PH in the tanks range from 4.9 to 5.5 I know this is low but is it something to worry about?

[Chad Hughes]

Welcome to Simply!

Low pH is fine. The thing to watch is KH. KH is carbonate hardness and buffers the water to prevent a pH crash. If your KH is lower than 3-4 degrees, I recommend adding small amounts of baking soda to your water or adding some coral to the filter to bring the KH to about 4 degrees. Allow the pH to settle where it does.