🔴 How to Lower pH in Freshwater Aquariums Spaghnum Moss, Peat Moss, Co2, Catappa Leaves and More

[@ThatBorderlineGuy]

What a great video. Mentioning the spagma moss alone was worth my time but the assessment of Ph down (which I have always been skeptical of) makes this video a must see for anyone with south american fish. Thanks man.

[@Outside-InAquatics]

Im just restumbled upon this video. And this was the video that brought me to this channel if I remember correctly. It blew my mind because I had not heard of using natural materials to alter my water chemistry. I was hooked after I learned that, because it made me think about everything differently. Just wanted to share a happy memory.

[@LRBaquatics]

Now I recommend not even messing with ph because it can throw off from hydrogen molecules hence spikes directly after water changes. TDS is better to follow which meters are cheap. Having living water is the most important. Also would probably add a few things to the more to the list of what you can use from nature to alter chemistry.

[@LRBaquatics]

Maybe I’ll make a vid of that someday if I can find my reminder to do so sometime. Lots of vids waiting to be made.

[@vahagnmelikyan2906]

Use a peat granules that are being used for filters. I had red tetras and other types and neons and I believe cabomba or something similar plants in 120 gallon aquarium. My water was Las Vegas hard water. Used half a handful peat in a bag and hanged in aquarium, deem light, also a boogwood. In the early morning my tetras were and I believe neons were breeding laying eggs all over plants... and the water was slightly yellowish

[@zoltan688]

When i bred Neon Tetras back in the 80s i used Scottish peat , It stayed like clay and lay firm on the bottom of the tank .They spawned like crazy using that.

[@LRBaquatics]

Interesting, thanks for sharing!

[@Love.Cook_Sanji]

May i know what is this scottish peat is ? 🤔

[@Shaggy33901]

I use Phosphoric acid in a mixture of RO and HMA water to lower the Ph to water ever number you desire. I have bred and kept all my wild Betta using a combination of all 3 of the above, this includes several pairs of Betta Macrostoma. I have also kept and bred several species of Parosphromenus down to Ph 3. In terms of the amount of acid we talking about it is drops from a pipettes as opposed to mls. A lot of the Catappa leaves are cut green and dried which is not what you want. You can also use Catappa concentrate.

[@Helpfulsuggestions]

Will dried smegma moss from the hardware store work ?? Or should it be fresh / green

[@LRBaquatics]

Lol the green stuff works better

[@sedghammer]

It's a lot more reliable and consistent to use R/O water, then re-mineralize and add alkaline and acid buffers until you get what you want. It's also cheaper in the long term and if you are doing it to lots of water. The organics that you talk about here will affect it in unpredictable ways, and if you have high KH, the leaves will hardly change your ph at all. Another thing to think about is a lot of low PH animals and plants also want lower GH and KH, which either requires R/O or rainwater and remineralization. I love using organics for other purposes, but I just don't find it reliable for affecting ph.

[@LRBaquatics]

This is true

[@martinproietti]

Thank you for the excellent video. So much real life experience you bring to the table for all of us to learn !!

[@LRBaquatics]

Thanks! Glad you liked it! It awesome how the internet allows me to share it with all you.

[@TheFishNerd]

Cool stuff, Lucas!!

[@LRBaquatics]

Thanks Fish Nerd!

[@timmcdermott9110]

great videos as usual,question can you take the fluval peat and put in a media bag and put in your HOB on top of your sponges?

[@Love.Cook_Sanji]

Hello Team LRB Aquatics, does using the Spaghnum Moss bring down only the PH or does it bring downs the GH (General Hardness) also? Also how long does the spaghnum moss last?

[@johnjwedrall4290]

Nice looking tanks and valuable info 👍

[@jamahlgow763]

can you add the moss bag to the filter for the same effect?

[@jasonb1851]

Love the daily vids hate missing them live though 😭 As always Thanks for the great info 👍🏻

[@LRBaquatics]

Thanks for watching! Hit the bell notification and will give you a better chance catching these live.

[@jasonb1851]

L.R.Bretz's Aquatics already have man it's the time diff I'm on holidays from work usually finish when u start back tomorrow so hopefully catch a lot more still great to watch anyways 👍🏻

[@bilalelhlimi2728]

Your videos are the best.

[@LRBaquatics]

Thanks Bilal!

[@christophergonzalez6290]

Since your using sphagnum moss to lower your ph. When you do a water change, do you match the ph going into your aquarium?

[@lukkasrtyu]

It depends on how sensitive your fish or shrimp are. To be safe do smaller water changes. In the salt water hobby they will do 20% water changes without matching the ph but they do try to match the ph on bigger water changes.

[@dingodyno9016]

Can we use dried sphagnum moss also or does it have to be alive?

[@ericklourdesmartinez7093]

Great video, what brand of sphagnum moss do you recommend, I am going to place it on my 50 gallon RO container to lower the PH. Thank you

[@nishanrana1146]

Looking forward to this project

[@LRBaquatics]

Me too! : D

[@carlos92fs87]

can i just use the sphagnum moss that is sold for reptiles? its all i can find at pet stoes. thanks

[@shineyrocks390]

Earned a sub 👍 Angelfish all day, pH is key when it comes to my Angels. Nice video some good options for others and points of interest. Happy fishing 😊

[@Kaikoura26]

So I just purchased some sphagnum moss. Should I just place some into a bucket with RO water and use that water for my tanks? Or do you recommend placing it directly into the shrimp tanks? Also, when it starts to rot, do I just leave it in the bucket of water or do I replace it? Thank you so much for this informative video. Cheers!

[@LRBaquatics]

You could do it either way. It’s more natural and can look cool to just put in to as part of the scape. Plus shrimp and other organisms can eat it as it breaks down. If just in a bucket it may start to smell if decomposes to fast which has a lot to do with light on decomposition rate. Less light faster decomposition. But if regularly using the water for weekly water changes then it should naturally exchange its nutrients from decomposition in each water change. Think of it as the plant breaks down it becomes part of the water.

[@Kaikoura26]

@@LRBaquatics ... God damn youre good..... Do you have a full video on shrimp tank set ups. Dos and donts?

[@ezzy5705]

Hi im new with fish tank... i heard catapa kill bacteria l.. will it kill beneficially bacteria to

[@surevenom1]

I ended up going with the spagnum moss. Bought a quart of this stuff for 20 gallon caridina shrimp tank.Did it to keep Ph down, keeping my fingers crossed 🤞

[@teddowning1126]

Lucas my water is soft and i plan on adding crushed coral to the 40 gallon breeder tank for cherry shrimp to graze on. How much crushed coral should i add and how do i tell when to add more? Thanks for the great videos

[@LRBaquatics]

I would add about a cup, you can pile it in one spot, sprinkle it around, or crush it up and sprinkle it around. Crush coral consist of a lot of calcium and as long as the shrimp can graze on it you will be good. It will last a long time, years. Thanks for watching!

[@teddowning1126]

Thanks Lucas

[@ViZiOMusic]

Awesome video keep it up!

[@LRBaquatics]

Thanks Vizio Music!

[@spoiledsushi7400]

good info-thanks!

[@LRBaquatics]

Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching : )

[@saktah]

Hi I'm trying to naturally lower my pH, was wondering if dry sphagnum moss would work if I do the same process that you showed?

[@xWhiteShad0Wx]

How often do you replace the spaghnum moss in the mesh bag ?

[@LRBaquatics]

It’s usually best used only for selective breeding projects since it can be inconsistent but if you do use it just watch for how it breaks down since the break down of it will vary from conditions of your water and aquarium.

[@pressuredprepper4232]

What did u use the Hydrogen peroxide for???

[@pitman225]

Can you use dried sphagnum moss for the same effect?

[@LRBaquatics]

You can it just prolly wont last as long but would prolly last a decent time.

[@saktah]

@caleb did it work?

[@SOULCONQUEST]

brillant i learned so much .

[@Lanchoooo]

@ 1:50 what kind of fish are those? (Exodon tetrAs?) do they tear up plants?

[@LRBaquatics]

Dawkinsia Assimilis Barbs They will eat some plants but not to rough on them.

[@LuizNunes74]

Thanks for the tips. Do you know if alder cones are good too?

[@LRBaquatics]

Yes alder cones can be good too

[@Amber-ou9vz]

Thank you 👍🏾

[@robbierobb6905]

Can you add the moss to a canister filter instead of floating it in the tank?

[@66bigbuds]

A professional fish farmer just told me to use hydrochloric acid from hydroponics store. And let the water sit for 3 days before adding it to aquariums. And if you use enough peroxide to kill algae, it always kills your bacteria.

[@LRBaquatics]

That will definitely make it more acidic. I’m not a fan of chemical cocktails like that personally. Hydrochloric acid is also what are stomachs consist of to break down food. Do be careful with that stuff cause it can destroy the beneficial bacteria as well.

[@rstampa2u]

Like your video. Lot's of tips for me to try. My question is. I have a 65 gal planted freshwater tank with pressurized co2, running 8-10 bps for 9 hrs a day. Which keeps my PH around 6.8-7.0. However the ph jumps at night to around 7.8-8.0. My fish and plants are doing alright but it shouldn't fluctuate that much. I also have shrimp and Mystery snails. I have peat moss, Alder cones and API pillow in my tank and nothing seems to keep it stable. Also battling BBA. I don't have any rocks or crush coral or anything that would raise the PH. My tank has been set up for several years now so it is well aged. My tap water is between 7.1-7.5. I do a weekly water change of 25%. The water is stored for a week adding Prime to it. Ready for the next change. I am at my wits end trying to keep my PH stabled. Is there anything you could suggest to keep it stabled? Thanks

[@LRBaquatics]

Do you know your TDS or more importantly your GH and KH? It is staying low during the day becuase of the co2. I guessing you have hardish water. Could be from the plants as well. PH is actually per hydrogen, so something molecular is happening which is the fact the plants are absorbing the oxygen at night and leaving the hydrogen.

[@rstampa2u]

@@LRBaquatics Not sure what TDS means but my kh is 4 & gh 17 very high. How can I stableize my ph

[@kwajrod]

Try filtering through peat(an aquarium brand such as Sera or Fluval) or green sphagnum. Akadama can be used as a substrate and will soften water and reduce ph. Also, can you use distilled water one time in your water changes as a test to see if it helps?

[@conman20000]

Do you take it out or leave it in?

[@LRBaquatics]

Leave it in so it seeps like a tea bag. After awhile it will break down sometimes it causes algae sometimes it doesnt. You can watch it as it browns and turns to decay you can choose to replace and refresh or just keep refreshing.

[@yfau2042]

May I ask where can we get or buy the live spaghnum moss in US?

[@LRBaquatics]

Maybe try eBay or google search

[@CypressPhotoStudio]

Awesome video ✌😃

[@LRBaquatics]

Thanks! ✌🙂

[@johnfletcher2664]

cool vid is your gh and kh not at very low levels?

[@LRBaquatics]

Actually they were high through my tap water.

[@fizamutahar2166]

Hi how to add peat moss?

[@1996vivian]

Hi, Love your videos! Where do you get your media bags and sphagnum moss?

[@LRBaquatics]

I usually get the bags from Big Als Pets and the sphagnum from ebay

[@bettajanggut2852]

Good infos...Thanks.

[@rlopas8276]

If you can simulate morning light conditions tetra will spawn. My 18 hex by the window was good for it

[@LRBaquatics]

I believe it, mornings are when most tetra types tend the spawn and you apply some of real mother nature usually triggers them. I will have to keep this in mind.

[@JOKERFACE3160]

How long does spagnum moss last in my fish tank in a mech bag to help reduce water hardness

[@Helpfulsuggestions]

How long must you leave the moss in the aquarium once the tank has hit the pH that you desire doesn’t need to be removed or should it be left in? I’m assuming if it should be left in for extremely hard water situation that it might be possible to put the filter bag in a canister filter?

[@LRBaquatics]

As long as it’s in there it adds acidity

[@shrimpsociety7057]

Is there a specific type of crushed coral that is best for adding calcium to the water.

[@LRBaquatics]

Im not really sure. I have never used any of that stuff since I have hard water. I wouldnt think there is a specific type.

[@rachelo315]

I'm so sad. I was doing all my readings and everything looked fine. All my big ugly goldfish died. I loved my ugly fish! My ph is 8.2. Pretty sure that's what did it. I have sphagnum moss for gardening. Can I use that? I only have my cherry shrimp and pleco left. I really just want to keep either goldfish or a betta. My bettas kept dying too. Thg he other fish are doing great in hard water in my other tank. I have my platys and guppies in that one. I have a cory in there but he's not doing well. I would like to lower the ph in at least the 29 gallon so I can put some bettas in there.

[@420Bert420]

How is the ember tetra breeding? I have 5 I got from flip aquatics and fell in love lol now I want more!

[@feeldafury]

Lucas, do you have a time frame on when the blue dream and fire red back in stock?

[@LRBaquatics]

Will be offering some tmrw on the site.

[@Tashika123]

what does the Almond leave do??? and how much to use....

[@Tashika123]

also my tank TDS is around 265 and I am new to all this I have a glass fish in it

[@timmcdermott9110]

it lowers ph levels,it is natural way of doing it as it's part of the trees around the rivers and lakes in Asia and falls into the waters naturally

[@filiplaskovski9993]

Good thing to do is what I do is set up a 30g drum or anything that can hold a lot of water and have that already treated and lowered so you never have to worry about shocking the fish with those ph down products

[@IsaiahCook-m1z]

I need a link to that Spaghnum moss I can’t fine it 🤣

[@dn7096_]

Does the ph stop dropping eventually? With the spagnum moss

[@LRBaquatics]

Depends on hardness of water. Harder it is the longer it takes acidity to break down the mineralization. Also the amount in. Eventually it does lose its potency after it decays more.

[@dn7096_]

@@LRBaquatics thank you!

[@matthewjackson2656]

any land moss will do?

[@orangexd2653]

Can I put it as the filter media?

[@LRBaquatics]

You could

[@petergardea8281]

How much spaghnum would you use?does it depends on tank size?

[@tommypham1101]

Do you leave the Spaghnum in the tank after the PH is lower? or do you take it out? would leaving it in the tank be unstable for the ph?

[@LRBaquatics]

You can leave it in but does get more acidic as time goes as it breaks down. If trying to get a desired acidity best to mix in bucket or something and keep it they way. That way you can mix and dilute as you need without any worry and more consistent stability.

[@tommypham1101]

@@LRBaquatics thank you for the quick response

[@tommypham1101]

@@LRBaquatics One last question im planning to breed blue bolt shrimp and im worry if i use KNO3 powder it could kill the shrimp. Any advice? thanks

[@faizpatel5426]

would this work with dry sphagnum moss?

[@marthanewsome6375]

Hi LR, I was wondering if you could help me. I have a highly planted tank with an internal sump which I have plants also growing out of and a hollow tree stump in the middle of the tank. Both the stump and one part of the sump has Sphagnum moss with lava rock in it with plants growing out of them, so the roots get into the water to help with nitrates. The plants are doing great inside and out of the tank and previously I did a similar thing with all three sump compartments with Sphagnum moss and lava rock and never had this problem. My problem is my ph has dropped below 6. I use RO water and remineralizer and the ph before that and after is 6.5 to 6.6 and that's what the tank use to set at steady with my old set up. I want to put soft water fish in the aquarium, but I don't know if they can handle the ph in the 5's. I want balloon rams, bumble bees and kohli loaches in there. I have them in quarantine at the moment at 6.5 and they are doing fine. Should I take out all the Sphagnum and use something else and if so what could I use? Or should I switch to tap water which has a ph at over 8 and have the Sphagnum lower it for me (to me this seems to be very unstable). I have added shell grit and it doesn't budge the ph at all, but its so low I can see the water reacting with the grit if I look carefully. I also have rock in there and a martini glass with aquasoil as a pot with more plants, plants in the sand substrate, 2 compartments have pots with aquasoil in the pots with terrestrial plants growing out of them. If I switched to pots of aquasoil in the stump and the third compartment and got rid of all the Sphagnum, do you think it would buffer to 6.5 better. My Kh is 3 at the moment, so I think it just has buffered and stayed at that very low ph because of the Sphagnum. What are you suggestions with this please?

[@marthanewsome6375]

I'm going to put the bumblebees in the other community tank with a higher ph now. I think the rams and kohli's like acidic water and might get some glass cats and maybe some killifish now.

[@LRBaquatics]

The bumblebee would more than likely do better in harder water like you mentioned. There are a few types of bumble bee gobies. The aquasoil can be a big factor in the low ph making the water acidic as well as the sphagnum moss. An airstone can raise the pH so can limestone. Mayb try removing the sphagnum or aquasoil in the container. The fish may be ok with the 5 ph but not 100% sure....

[@marthanewsome6375]

Yes, it was the aquasoil that is part of it. I used tap water of over 8 and removed all the sphagnum and it still leveled out to 6.4. But before I moved the bumble bees I checked that water too and it was at 6.5 and they were all doing very well for 3 weeks in there, so still moved them with the others. I did add a little marine salt for them, which didn't budge the ph at all, but not enough to be considered a brackish tank, as I have so many plants that wouldn't cope with high salt at all. But they all seem to be doing great in the low ph, except my male balloon ram decided to jam itself in between a rock and driftwood when it first went in and injured his eye, it looks like a cataract kind of thing. I don't know if will improve or not, but he is acting completely normal now. He settled in once he saw the other fish and I added some tetra's in there too and he follows the school around the tank and chases the female. I made sure the kh and gh were right too. I had to add some more shell grit in a bag too, but it worked with the kh and thats sitting on 4. The gh was at 6. I want to keep the aquasoil in the tank for the benefit of the plants inside and out. It seems like these bumbles can handle it just fine and seem happy eating their blood worms and hanging out on plants and on the sides of the tank, with their normal bursts of swimming. In fact I just love these guys and they even seemed to swim their way into my net when I was moving them, like they new they were going to a better place. Well it's better than my little quarantine tank they were in. I also had a lovely surprise today in my community shrimp tank. I have neo's and cardinia's, oto's and endlers in there. My endlers have had a few babies here and there in the past few weeks, but when I looked today I have about 80 new babies, so I might have to use the hospital tank as a grow out tank, as I still have two females about to pop soon, so will clean it totally out and try to raise the ph up for them. The shrimp community sits at about 6.8, so might try some shell grit in there, as there is no aquasoil, but I think it was sitting so low, as I had a sick tetra in there prior to the bumble bees and I would have used half RO and half tap to get a lower ph. I also noticed two of my female cardinia berried shrimp are missing in the plants, so might mean I'm going to get some babies from them too. My neo's constantly pop out babies and I sell them all the time, so it would be nice to get some cardinia's too.

[@marthanewsome6375]

LR, I got the tank to settle at a ph of 6.8 and the bumble bees are doing way better in that. The rams are starting to spawn now too. The male keeps displaying and the female's stomach is going bright pink. They seem to like it under the tree stump, where there is a little cave area and the male is constantly digging in there. The kohli loaches are digging holes everywhere and they seem to love to love it under the rocks and I don't know if this is normal, but they seemed to have made a nest under some rocks against the glass and only two of them go in there and they seem to stop the others from entering. Not sure how bumble bee's mate, but some seem to have teamed up. So, everything is great. It's way better than having the sphagnum and aquasoil in there, but my bad as I always kept things that liked it acidic. But all species seem happy in 6.8 close to neutral water. Figured out if I mix 2/5ths of RO with 3/5ths of our overly alkaline tap water plus a couple of caps of Prime, I get 6.8 to 7. Since I have to cart my RO in for my shrimp, this will also save my back a bit. Thanks for your advice and it did point me in the right direction.

[@odd-rose]

Do you have a current link for where you buy the sphagnum moss?

[@LRBaquatics]

I just searched ebay and they had it.

[@odd-rose]

L.R.Bretz's Aquatics is it the live sphagnum moss? Or do you buy preserved?

[@LRBaquatics]

@@odd-rose Its live

[@odd-rose]

@@LRBaquatics Thank you!

[@maddyd2066]

Can you just let the moss float on top of the water? Also will this drop the ph fast to where it will affect the fish

[@LRBaquatics]

You can let it float. Add gradually to it doesnt affect it too fast or too much.

[@erinlewis6901]

I have two tetras that're in an akeline tank. This helps me so much. Thank you!

[@mikewiththebluecar]

I can’t find spaghnum moss on eBay can you please provide a link?

[@LRBaquatics]

Hmm you should be able to search for it, I dont have a link handy.

[@mikewiththebluecar]

L.R.Bretz's Aquatics I tried searching for spaghnum moss but only found a bunch of spaghnum moss plant pots. I’m trying this Moss I got from petsmart. Not sure what type it is it doesn’t say. It just says forest moss. www.chewy.com/exo-terra-forest-moss-tropical/dp/124074?Exo%20Terra&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlJ2D25_j2QIVmbjACh3O-wEiEAYYASABEgKyuvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[@georgegeorge6936]

what if I use dried spaghnum moss ? what is the difference vs live spaghnum moss ? I'm guessing live ones will last longer ?

[@LRBaquatics]

Correct the live one lives longer. By not breaking down as fast.

[@jaime8318]

My water is hard too. It's 8 out of the tap. If I use Spaghnum moss, how do I keep the ph from going up and down when I do water changes?

[@kamasrich]

Dude You looks like braun strowman 👍

[@donmunn576]

On the tank you used the hydrogen peroxide on, how much did you use and were the plants in when you treated it? I have a couple of plant only tanks with algae issues and am looking for solutions.

[@LRBaquatics]

2 ml , gallon is what I used. I dose in tanks with the plants in it. Subwassertang didnt like it much though besides that have tried it with many other types.

[@jaime8318]

how much sphagnum moss would I need for a 300 gallon tank? Looking to keep GBR and Discus.

[@rayr.6568]

can i use and put the spaghnum moss in a canister filter?

[@LRBaquatics]

It would die and break down really fast but the natural organics may break it down quicker as well. I have never tried it but bet you could you would just have to add more as time goes then just putting it in the tank.

[@rayr.6568]

I'm using the fluval peat granules to lower my ph but I'm using UV. Is it ok with UV on?

[@ybountot]

Will using peat moss make the water brown? how to fix it so that the water remains clear?

[@scottsbees7166]

Where do you get your sphagnum Moss?

[@LRBaquatics]

I ordered mine off ebay

[@scottsbees7166]

@@LRBaquatics thanks

[@Tooadie]

Hey I do use osmos water and when k add mineral I do heve a hell to lower my ph when I lower it its take 1 day and then its high again take me 4 days to lower it and make it stay

[@COOPERSCICHILDS]

cool video

[@LRBaquatics]

Thanks Coop!

[@Fordracing1]

How long would it take using the sphagma moss to lower the ph level

[@LRBaquatics]

It doesnt take long for it to lower ph a day or two if that.

[@hendrasb5963]

Hi. For the spaghnum moss, can i use dry (peat spaghnum moss)?

[@LRBaquatics]

Best to use live spaghnum moss

[@hendrasb5963]

@@LRBaquatics okay but its difficult for area near me to find live moss. Dry sphagnum is much.

[@nadina1]

Hi, I have a question, I’m trying to use this moss to lower the ph in my fish tank and I was wondering, if I did submerge it in water, how long do I need to wait until I replace it. When will it’s ability to lower my ph stop?

[@LRBaquatics]

It will die away that’s when you know. As it breaks down it creates the acidity.

[@49ersfan127]

I'm calling cap on the sphagnum peat moss. Searched for hours and couldn't find it. Also several people have asked you for a link and you wont provide

[@LRBaquatics]

Lol no 🧢 bro. www.ebay.com/itm/294032077148 Careful though it gets acidic

[@-8_8-]

I've got bags of the stuff growing in my reptile room. Came from Amazon.

[@ThatGuy-jb6yf]

New, thanks for posting about the natural ph down stuff. Can you tag Aquaponics in your videos? Because I have been looking for a ph down natural way for a couple weeks. I tried the chemical way and it killed my half my fish and didn't lower my ph.. I knew about peat moss filtration but didn't know it removed ph. Thanks.

[@timf8449]

Will dried sphagnum lower ph? If not, where do you find live sphagmum?

[@LRBaquatics]

I can, Ive never used it but could imagine it may get all over the place and be food for algae faster. But I could be wrong. You can find live sphagnum on ebay. At least during warmer months I dont know about in the winter...

[@timf8449]

@@LRBaquatics Thank you for your reply. I like the sphagnum idea. Dry is available throught the year, so I'll put some in a filter bag and experiment.

[@aktismoon1867]

@@timf8449 Hi Tim! I was curious about your experiment. Did it work? I'm trying to lower my pH (8.0) and I tried everything and I like the idea of the spaghnum moss

[@mikewiththebluecar]

I just added 7 teaspoons of distilled vinegar to my 10 gallon tank as an experiment. Please let me know if this could have bad consequences.

[@LRBaquatics]

Ive never tired it.

[@mikewiththebluecar]

L.R.Bretz's Aquatics i checked the ph 24 hours later and I still don’t see any change but my test strips only go up to 8.4 so that kinda worries me because I just added quite a bit of acid to the water and don’t see a significant change. 7 teaspoons of 5% distilled vinegar to 10 gallons of water. So now I’m wondering how far above 8.4 my water actually is.

[@gk9417]

I have 6 ph in shrimp tank is that ok I have two captcha leaves in my 20 gallon 🤷🏼‍♂️✌️🇨🇦

[@LRBaquatics]

Potentially depends on the shrimp. Neocaridina like harder water and Caridina like softer water.

[@trer1992]

Can I bag up sphagnum moss and put it in my cannister filter?

[@trer1992]

Also will this moss lower my pH too quickly and effect my fish?

[@mikewiththebluecar]

How long does it usually take for the moss to begin to lower the ph?

[@LRBaquatics]

Next day should be able to see a difference

[@AlbertoHernandez-wr5fk]

Im trying to get to 7.5 for my snails and shrimp tank. I got a 2.5 g tank. New to aquariums but been wanting to get into growing snails and shrimp.

[@LRBaquatics]

I would work on having a high TDS (Total Dissolved solids) more then chase PH. Crushed coral and GH/KH boosters are good for upping it

[@dollyllama69420]

Holy Cow when did you get that Arrowana?

[@LRBaquatics]

I have had him since this summer, I got him as a juvenile and was only about 3". He has been growing fast!

[@gem9535]

What brand of moss? Can I have a link, please?

[@LRBaquatics]

No specific brand but should probably go for one that is organic.

[@junaidydharma6966]

can i use dry sphagnum moss ?

[@paymunpezeshkpour2375]

@LRB Aquatics I just came from Jack Wattley's channel and he gave the suggestion of adding some muriatic acid in a separate bucket of water then waiting for 3 days and then using that water to lower your pH. Do you know if this would be safe for shrimp? Thanks in advance. P.S. Thanks for your continuous livestreams and I hope to keep learning from you about this hobby! This is the video in question: HOW TO: lower PH for your Tropical Fish Tank - KZbin

[@jaggerzz]

How much sphagnum moss do I need to lower the ph by about 1 in a 29 gallon tank

[@LRBaquatics]

Hard to tell without water readings such as TDS or gh/kh and ph. Maybe start with a little and see what it does. Its hard to sustain if you do water changes you may need to refreshen the sphagnum all depends on your water. It will also break down over time.

[@johnnydimes8257]

You have hard water what state are you from bro

[@Jsh465]

Hi. Can I make moss balls out of the spagma moss? Sorry about the spelling on that one

[@LRBaquatics]

You can scrunch them into a ball but they wont live underwater forever and grow but they do last forever and so does the effect of lowering the ph with its acidity from decaying.

[@bcarterpj]

So I got a big bag of sphagnum moss and had it in the tank for a week with no change in ph? Did I do anything wrong

[@SortoMario89]

Does the decaying matter produce a smell?

[@LRBaquatics]

Ive never had a issue with it.

[@SortoMario89]

L.R.Bretz's Aquatics okay sweet i figured since its decaying it would produce a sour smell. Tnx for the replay dude

[@jmilol]

What kind of bag is that? I want to buy it. Where can i buy this??

[@LRBaquatics]

Which bag, of peat moss? If so I got it on ebay as organic peat moss.

[@greenthumbaquariums1185]

Doesn't decomposing plant matter lead to higher nitrates which would then prompt a water change which would then raise your pH back up?

[@IanMM88]

What about driftwood? I thought that was the best way to lower your pH ? Am I wrong on this?

[@LRBaquatics]

It can for a short period of time so to say its the best may be a stretch

[@fagan316]

Will dry spaghnum moss still keep water clear or stain it like peat does. How will I know it's time to change it out

[@LRBaquatics]

It wont stain and will stay clear. Check your pH time to time and if it starts rising on you then you will know its time to add more or change out.

[@fagan316]

L.R.Bretz's Aquatics thanks for the reply and why didn't I think of that lol 😂 😂 😂