HOW TO: lower PH for your Tropical Fish Tank

As always, keep those questions rolling.
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[@captainwin6333]

Nice videos. Short enough to keep interest and long enough to get all the salient points in. No fluff. Keep it going.

[@Waverlyduli]

This is just what I was looking for. Gabe's adult, straight forward, to the point style is great. His years of experience mean good practical advice. Good on ya, Gabe. Breath of fresh air👍

[@webhead1598]

This video is old, so you might not see this, but I can’t watch it, and a not express my gratitude. Thank you so much! I have a lot of fish tanks. I’m planning a move to a place where ph is a drastic difference from where I’m at. My PH is around 6.7, and where I’m going it’s 8.0. You saved me, and more importantly all my fish, and my little axolotl!

[@abdulkaleem3322]

I don't even keep discus But the explanation you deliver and way to express the terms it's superb and very interesting ! Beautiful video 👍🏻

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

Make it easy, make it simple to understand without trying to impress.and anyone can achieve the hobby. Thanks for your remarks.

[@fgjf1079]

⁠@@JackWattleyDiscusThanks for the explanation on the chemical reaction. I recently lowered my hydroponic PH using concentrated vinegar, but after a couple days the PH went back up. Now it makes sense that the ph only went down temporarily, while going through the chemical reaction. I added a bit more vinegar today to see if it stays there now. I’ll retest it tomorrow, but I might decide to just go buy some phosphoric acid.

[@wallynm]

Thank you so much! Me and my girlfriend were struggling with some water buffer in order to lower PH, we live in Brazil and they are very expensive. We've been investing into an angelfish farm, and we couldn't find a way to make the water part to work out... This video helped us a lot!!! Thank you so much!

[@Nj-pk]

Appreciate your honesty gabe, thanks for making us such great videos.

[@marcelazoulay7484]

what a champion. no bs, but you can tell he cares.

[@loving_aquatic1281]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYvTlHhnpdaYlc0

[@RogerG92]

this mans legit ! sheeeit, godbless for people like this man you got my subscription

[@nownowicki]

Works 10.000 times better than any of the shelf dedicated product and it is almost for free in compare. One thing i will add - it evaporates quickly and the vapors can ruin your lungs also very quickly, so be careful.

[@girishnaik5337]

Thanks Gabe! Whenever you speek you ooze pure experience which is more than my age. God bless u!

[@anobani8919]

Ive never seen someone could explain this equation better than this guy , amazing u could be a teacher in university and we would never be bored

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

My Best teachers through life made the subject interesting and those subjects were the easiest to learn. Thanks and enjoy.

[@jaiqiliu.4602]

i like how you done this video,short quick no unnecessary words, the things you talk is all people need to know . thank you.

[@4EvaFishNerd]

Love it! Right to the point. This guy knows what he's saying. And only took one take. Not a million cuts, or dorky editing. THANK YOU

[@StainedGlassEyeBalls]

Yeah old school real deal pro right here! Not like 99% of the amateur fish keepers on here thinking they are famous....

[@ert-wert]

This had to be one of the best videos I have ever watched on KZbin. I'm greatly impressed and instantly subscribing

[@kendrakinsella]

I love this no nonsense video, I just discovered your channel. I’m now following, thank you so much!

[@abuzdream]

You are great sir and a true hobbyist who distribute the knowledge.. appreciated

[@tommy2tone8650]

Had discus in the past stop keeping them because my tap ph was to high and had to use all kinds of buffers to get it down. With this great video I may get back to keeping them again. New subscriber.

[@martyborst5645]

MEDINA CICHLIDS , I have discus and know what you mean by chasing the ph. My ph out the tap is too low. I have to buffer it up with alkaline buffer to bring the ph up.

[@sherrieanderson2297]

My pH from the tap is 7.8. I can’t keep Cardinal Neons and I have too many Cory’s dying. Unfortunately the max pH for the fish I want to have is too high. My tank is cycled. All my other water parameters are spot on except for the pH. I’ve used pete, water softener pillows, drift wood, almond leaves with no significant result. And they work so slowly and cannot keep up with my water changes. I do a 50% water change about every 10 days with the water that has a 7.8 pH approximately to keep Nitrates down to a safe level. I’d love to install RO but that is too expensive. We just can’t afford it. So I see this as the ONLY solution for the water changes and keeping the pH at a safer level. Thanks for this excellent video!!

[@yorksfolly1255]

please tell me has it worked for you?!

[@IM-rn7ik]

I reuse the water from my dehumidifier in tank to top everything off sometimes. That, distilled water and rain water.

[@Highway554]

Thanks Gabe. for your videos we really learn a lot from them and we really appreciate the time you take out of you're schedule to better inform us of this knowledge . Keep them coming.

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

Thank you for taking the time to let me know.

[@georgerodriguez1620]

Thanks Gabe...all the slick willy, willy nilly hacks....always informative 👍...no BS...GREAT DISCUS REPUTATION

[@henryorante9925]

I dont have yet a discuss tank, but you have an interesting and eduacational vids.. And one more thing your honest enough and making a way for viewers to avoid contact with acid is a good plus for you.. Making your viewers safe.. that made me watch your other vids..

[@kennyfol]

Thanks gabe! You my friend are an open book. Love your videos, keep em coming amigo!

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

Open book to any hobby is a more enjoyable hobby for all.

[@tigersunruss]

Most clear and informative video I've ever seen. FYI water weighs 8.345 pounds per gallon.

[@tmenzella]

This dude is awesome. It’s like a Scorsese movie shot in back of the shop but with loads of useful information delivered hybrid Pesci/De Niro style 👌🏻

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

It's the Joisy accent I can't get rid of it.

[@tmenzella]

Haha - you don’t need to because everyone enjoys the accent, thanks from UK. 👍🏻

[@4aprpslivingwithevangelist41]

Man! I'm not impressed easily; but you mi hermano, were born to teach! It's one thing to be knowledgable; it's another to effectively teach. I'm new to your world, so I apologize if my questions are redundant. Have you considered or already did a complete step by step DISCUS tank setup video?

[@FishEZ]

Been wondering if that was even possible. Thanks for the explanation. I enjoy your videos as they are extremely informative.

[@allenkennedy6748]

I’m late to the party, but I must join the chorus for Gabe. This goes beyond fish, to me Gabe truly enjoys what he does. He loves to deconstruct problems. He loves to teach. I’m lucky to be able to watch. Thank you!

[@BarryMaxey]

What should be your ph with Discus? The reason I am asking is because you guys are the very best when it comes to Discus

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

Their range is from 5.5 to 7.5. Nearer to the center of those two is best.

[@adamsazaquatics3079]

I am curious how adding this acid affects KH (buffer)? I am no chemist but as I understand it PH is the acidity scale, GH is the dissolved minerals scale, and KH is the buffer to PH scale. So if my tap starts at 8.0ph with high KH and GH and I add acidity, naturally the PH will fall (according to exactly how much acid you add and where your KH was when you added it) but does the KH move as a result of the PH overcoming the buffer? I should probably learn the actual science instead of just asking questions online but this video was awesome and the world needs more people like you.

[@farzaadkatrak9823]

Thanks Gabe, I always wait for your new information videos , u are the best !

[@denisetommer5398]

I jut love Gabe. He makes things so simple, and it's so helpful. Thank you!

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

Thank you for watching.

[@dr.doctordoctor2906]

Love this guy. Just a quick pointer. Make a bigger base for your trash can and it won't spill over. Your welcome 👍🏼

[@bleewicket]

Love your passion, makes me want to get into discus!

[@carloafallas9080]

This guy is wow. No blah blah. Just straight to the point.

[@hartatttackk]

This video just changed my entire game, thank you man

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

Enjoy the savings

[@Tekktnas011]

OMG, a helpful video that gets straight to the point

[@tracys4161]

Gabe helping us kick up our discus keeping ANOTHER NOTCH!

[@tomfish1312]

Love your tips Jack But Love soo much your positive energy ! Please guys help him as giving his video a thumb up He totaly deserve it !!

[@zahidilyas6725]

thanks a lote gabz from karachi pakistan

[@BIGDTFC]

For small tank just go buy lemons. Squeeze half a lemon into a 10 gallon tank. The ph will drop by about .8 initially. Next day the ph should rise back up and u can add the.second half of the lemon gradually reducing the resting ph of the water

[@caleba3477]

This guy is a g. Such an excellent teacher.

[@TheKotakot]

nice Video , 5 years old and still brilliant

[@MikeInExile]

I've been doing the Home Depot PH 'hack' for over 15 years now. But I always struggled with keeping green algae and green water under control... until I discovered it was being caused by the phosphorus in the phosphoric acid. So about 10 years ago, I switched to muriatic acid (which doesn't contain phosphorus) and haven't had an issue with green algae or water since!

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

Absolutely correct. Many people prefer the phosphoric acid because it has zero fumes, but it will create algae.

[@twobrotherjg]

Does the PH stay balanced after the 3 days?

[@MikeInExile]

@@twobrotherjg I live in the Dallas, Texas area, and the water here is very hard and alkaline so it takes a fair amount of muriatic acid to take the water from pH 8 to pH 6. Here's what happens: If I add _just enough_ muriatic acid to bring the pH down to 6, yes, the pH will 'rebound' back up after a day or two. So what I do is keep adding muriatic acid a little at a time over the span of a few days while keeping a running total of how much acid I've added until the 'rebounding' stops and the pH is stable at 6. From then on, for any _subsequent_ batches of water I prepare, I simply add the _total_ amount of acid that I used before, all at one time, right at the beginning. The pH will go _waaaay_ below 6 at first, but after a few days, will 'rebound' and settle in nicely at 6!

[@MK_Aquatics]

@@MikeInExile thanks for sharing that, gonna be doing this myself. My ph is around 8.5 and is very alkaline as well Trying to keep live plants and tropical fish, only had the tank about a month so it’s good to find information like this!

[@MikeInExile]

@@MK_Aquatics My pleasure! Glad I could help! 🙂

[@johnschubert5664]

I've been looking for this explanation for years!!!!! Thank You!

[@TONY_FEZ]

This guy is awesome. He sounds like Frank Rizzo from the Jerky Boys! :)

[@j.c.2214]

once again thankyou sir your knowledge and teachings are amazing to say the least. blessings my brother

[@wundawaffle8413]

really like your style mate, seem fun and seems like you really like your job

[@juanalbertofischercanales_MD]

Thanks my friend. This is an excellent advise. And I totally agree with you. .. safe first

[@louchelada8296]

nice gabe...just getting into discus now...actually have 10..haven't lost any yet knock wood

[@louchelada8296]

and greetings from nj

[@ImapatriotUSA]

Great video as always Gabe. FIY: Pure water weighs 8.3 pounds per gallon.

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

Thanks

[@FallGuy-68]

Thanks for getting to the point. Great video.

[@VenomousEndeavours]

I remember this from pools, but did not even think about using it for fish. Thank You

[@Chris-bm5qd]

I'm going to buy 1 more fish and name it Gabe. I loved every word, but my favorite @ 04:20.

[@JoseReyes-xs3js]

Ur amazing brotha thanks for sharing your knowledge definitely help 🙏

[@AQUAFUNK]

This is the first time I've heard about this method of dealing with pH

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

We're here to help

[@AQUAFUNK]

@@JackWattleyDiscus at the moment my operation is small and my well water is at 6.8 / 7 so I don't have the need for it but hopefully one day I will have a large large enough set up that this gem of information would be necessary. I appreciate you and your channel is quickly becoming one of my favorites

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

It's old as the hills. Back in the day they would even use viniger.

[@jerzey1016]

my ph is 7.6 out the tap? what should i do

[@tanmoydutta6455]

@@JackWattleyDiscus I am very much impressed to see your video. I am doing discus breeding in my house. But, my Tank water ph - 7.6, I have use api ph down, in that time my tank PH lebel was 6.8 but next day after putting discus fish water lebel converted again 7.6. So, please tell me how to my tank water ph lebel down between 6 to 6.8. Thanks, Jack Wattley

[@johnday8204]

As usual gabe brilliant keep the videos coming thanks

[@christianaguilar6724]

Wooowww that’s is way cheaper than the discus buffer. Great info 👍🏽

[@pbk808]

Loving your videos! I find myself waiting for the next one!

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

Thanks for the inspiration 9 more videos already on the chopping block.

[@pbk808]

Jack Wattley Discus keep going. It’s making us Discus keepers feel like we can get a resolute voice on Discus keeping. I’ve listened to hundreds of channels and they all seem to conflict on something or other, Your videos always make good sense and how you present it is easy to follow.

[@kristimbhowmik2541]

Wonderful video but I don’t need to fill up multiple tanks, I just need to fix the PH in a 10gallon tank. How much of this should I put in a gallon of water. ( back fill water)

[@elgezouliabdul4973]

Thanks for your quick reply be live me now is 4 o'clock here in Belgium I am still awake to monitor this fluval E 300 new Heater it is good now 29.5 C , what about the noises and refusing food. Me now stressed more than those fish, I travelled more than 10 hours to search a good breeder and I brought good quality fish, will they get use to the house disturbances with kids maybe after a while .? Thanks

[@kongvue5160]

Definitely trying this. My ph starts off at 7.4 then rises to 8.2 after a couple days of aerating. So looks like my tap water is naturally high. The weird thing is I can't tell if the fish are stress. They have full color and most are eating well... except for my electric blue acara. But I'll need to test this out. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge.

[@YannHoiret.Fanatik-discus]

Good job Gabe! Dynamic video 😊

[@tuanpham8321]

Love your awesome advices mate. Thanks heaps.

[@_lucid_one]

Great, great video. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us! Happy subscriber and hopeful to one day have discus of my own.

[@trinibudow]

So educational and entertaining You're a legend Gabe!

[@martyborst5645]

Gabe, I have several bottles of vinegar 5% acid. Is it o.k. to use this as well or should I only stick with the what you showed us? Respectfully, Marty

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

Any acid will do. I don't like vinegar because of the smell. But it will work as well

[@Mutlap]

this is the best way because the other way is to precipitate out calcium but that is detrimental to fish bones

[@alionline999]

Thanks for sharing down to earth info👍👍👍

[@naveedaltaf]

Thanks Gab! Man you always teach something new whenever you make any new video. 💯 likes.

[@JonnyMudMower]

That pvc tank filler is great 👍🏻🍻🇨🇦 edit: subbed from Prince Edward Island Canada 🇨🇦🐠

[@lucifermorningstar-lk9ow]

Thanks sir for this teaching us this trick ☺☺

[@Holger-ki2cc]

Thank you for this Information. Great vid.

[@antoniochua8111]

" Dont be a slick willy" should be a bumper sticker

[@ahmadsaidi8996]

Dear Gabe, you said that you follow this technique over 25 years, but i seen in comments guy's telling of increasing tds from 500 to 900ppm ! so is this acceptable for discus keeping? what are you doing for this ? is your discus water tds around 900 ppm since 25 years? Thanks in advance

[@paymunpezeshkpour2375]

@Jack Wattley Discus I was wondering is this method would be safe to use for aquariums that have caridina/neocaridina shrimp in them? Thanks in advance! P.S. Really appreciate you putting your knowledge on the internet for everyone to use! Keep up the great work!!!

[@antonylubbe4488]

sharp as a tack.

[@2cheakyful]

Great info video, glad i stumbled upon this site, If i use RO water mixed with a little tap water for a breeding tank do i still need to lower PH or just focus on soft water? my PH is 7.4 from the tap

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

Nope

[@professorFloyd]

Thank you for explaining it in a simple matter

[@Trendingwithqazi]

Hi Sir, I like the words how you great everyone.. Thanks for the informative video

[@carlosopagan3161]

Cool hack... But how stable is the water and is that quim reaction turning the water like RO water (no minerals)? Just curious new at the hobby and want to lern as much.

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

Negative. It's only a way to lower the pH not to soften or remove trace elements.

[@googaajjj6099]

@@JackWattleyDiscus but actually any strong acid (muriatic or phosporic acid) will disassociates any carbonates hardness which act as a buffer.

[@knyghtryder3599]

So glad I found your content, great stuff!!!!

[@mudassirhussain7856]

Hi Gabe, a very informative video. I have a quick question. After adding Muriatic acid and once the ph stablizes to where I want it to be, does the ph stay the same or will the acid loose its capacity overtime (in a month??) resulting the ph to spike again?? Thanks for any response.

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

It doesn't lose it's capacity. It reacts with the alkaline minerals which have built up on your tank walls over the years and this is why you see a rise. Eventually after a few months and once the minerals have been consumed by the water changes, that's when your pH will stabilize.

[@83kaszas]

Ahahaha man i love so much how u explain u are awsome haha,funny but also interesting,and wery nice informations! "dint be a slick..." so cool hahah,keep up the good job,wish yall the best!

[@clayt101]

Great video. Will that have any other effects such as on hardness?

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

Ant time you add you always bring it up

[@Sinserg]

This was straight to the point, great!

[@Johnsondemello]

Hi Gabe, thanks for the ph hack. Just wondering after 3 days when the chemical reaction is complete, are there any chance of ph swings or will it remain consistent?

[@ColorzGuppyFarm]

Thats a good question! Im wondering myself if it remains stable. I have a 55g drum I use for my water changes, How about the mix with Prime? can we use both Prime and this acid?

[@sodone4480]

@@ColorzGuppyFarm have you tried this method for lowering ph in your tanks?

[@ColorzGuppyFarm]

@@sodone4480 Hi, in the end I do not need to lower ph, i had a sudden spike. it now has stabilized since. anyhow with Guppies high ph is good!

[@andrewwilkins6883]

One question Gabe. So once the chemical reaction is done after approximently 3 days and the ph drops to let’s say 7.0 Now a day or two later it’ll go back up as you said. So if I were to add the 7.0 ph water into my tank.. I’m assuming the ph will then begin to rise again on the 4th or 5th day as it would in the bin? I have 2 pairs of discus and a colony of Amazon Puffer fish that I’m attempting to breed. My discus have before but the eggs didn’t survive due to the ph being to high and I’d assume the KH and GH as well being to high. Anyways I got this aquarium soil that lowers the PH to minimum 6.3, even with a high KH it’ll in a way you could say override the KH and drop the PH and keep it steady. I have a PH reader instrument and the soil is actually doing its job and lowering the PH. My question is is if I were to do this method with the muriatic acid and lower the PH to whatever my PH is in these tanks, fill the tanks, will my ph stay since I have this soil in it or will it rise and then lower again? I don’t want major PH swings and kill my fish. Thank you! I hope this wasn’t confusing. I’m trying to explain as best as possible!

[@robertobalderas7899]

Do I really need to wait 3 days or will 24hrs do?

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

If you aerate you can do it in 24 hours

[@Myname2663-w2z]

What a fantastic tip. Thanks so much

[@gokulnaidu6119]

Does this work for caridina shrimp? Maybe to save the qaulity of the active soil longer?

[@kaidenanderson1019]

Once the ph is where you want it will it stay the same? And could i bottle more water for future water changes from that batch? Thinking about keeping apistogramma cacatuoides but water is 8 from the tap and full of minerals as were surrounded by limestone. Could I add tap water for future water changes and just keep a piece of driftwood or no?

[@TheKaosGravy]

Fantastic info, Keep up the great work

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

Thanks for the inspiration.

[@happycanada2765]

Thank you Gabe! You have the best videos.

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

You're too kind.

[@keyurnaik]

This is amazing but what if u buy local discus or angles who are adjusted to local water parameters?

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

They will thrive even better with water they prefer.

[@wunkah]

hi gabe thanks so much for this amazing tip! question though, would there be an effect on the tank itself, specifically to the silicone lining in the tank even if you age the water with the muriatic dose in it?

[@vikrampatil6087]

Subscribed after watching this video.

[@calebdarby9544]

Hey Gabe, awesome video, short and sweet! I'm sorry if this has been covered already or doesn't quite make sense but I was wondering what happens after awhile? When my tests read my desired pH, is this then acceptable to add fish? I understand how to lower and increase pH, but how do I know if this is stable? I am worried that I will get a perfect pH, but it will fluctuate and not be great for the fish. Thanks in advance!

[@chelsmeister]

Hello! I'm not a fish expert (I do have fish but... you know), BUT I am a chemical engineer!! So I can help. Your pH comes from a balance of acidic and basic groups dissolved in the water. These can come from either dissolved solids [like from rocks or soil or agricultural runoff] or stuff in the air [like CO2, reacts into water to form carbonic acid, which is why ocean acidification is happening]. Overall the water coming out of your tap should be the same thing every time because what's dissolving into the aquifer from rocks or our air is not going to suddenly change. So if you treat the water out of your tap the exact same way every time before adding the water to the tank (like each doing nothing besides conditioning it OR each time adding the same number of capfuls and waiting *until that reaction is over* -- i.e. 3 days to be safe). THEN YES you can be 100% confident the water you are **putting into your tank** is pretty exactly the same pH every time!! Or only very slowly changing over multiple years so that your fish would never notice. And since the air composition changes too slowly to notice, you can also be 100% confident the pH in the aquarium won't fluctuate over time. That is, UNLESS you have anything you added to your tank that releases dissolved solids which are acidic or basic (like catappa leaves or crushed coral, respectively). IF SO, the acidic or basic groups that those release in the water would then react with the new water you're adding every time you do a water change, even if you add exactly the same pH of the new water every time. That means each time you do a water change your new water is going to start out a slightly different pH. So, you'll have a temporary pH change every time you add new water that will adjust back IN your tank (e.g. over 3 days). Since usually things like catappa and crushed coral are only giving you mild pH changes (maybe 0.5 units) rather than several pH units (like from 8.5 to 5.5 which acid could achieve), then maybe that's fine if you're doing small water changes consistently, or your fish aren't too sensitive, or if your added new water isn't that different pH from the water in your tank. That seems too be true for most people anyway, even though I've seen some people say it's better to just keep the fish at pH 8 than try to mess with artificially altering pH? Again, not a fish expert. BUT I'm pretty sure that for sensitive fish like discuss, Jack does it the way he does because it's smarter to adjust the pH BEFORE adding the water. It's the only way to know *exactly* what the pH is and that it's effectively exactly the same value all the time from the fish's perspective. Hope that helps!

[@_Pelagikos14]

@chelseaedwards Does Mopani wood behave in the same manner as Catappa leaves? Tia ☺️

[@v4zzy219]

Is this method safe for Corydoras? I ask because Corydoras are sensitive to salt and this acid contains salt right? Thanks.

[@yezryezr]

Broooooo.... loud and clear ! Got it

[@elgezouliabdul4973]

Good morning thank you very much for your helps your vedio about discus encourge me to make a tank of 6 discus here in Belgium 5 days ago they are around 6 Cm every thing with water filtration heating is ok but those little fish are not eating well and I have 3 kids moving around the aquarium all day fishes looks stressed please tell me tips to calm the stress and make them eat, I am new to discus world. Thank you very much in advance and please reply to me

[@JackWattleyDiscus]

Make sure temp is between 28-30C This will stress them the most.

[@marcosteinbach7786]

Thanks! Effective lowering ph! A little testing in a bottle, now pH 4! Wow! 50liter water max 10ml acid, measure is must! 🤔 Tell us more!