How to lower the PH and KH?

[twinspots_goby]

My zebra breeder tank has water premeter of Ph 7.0, and KH 8. Is the KH to high for zebra? I know that I need to lower the KH first before lowering the ph. How do I do that? Any advice? Thanks...

[Raul-7]

My zebra breeder tank has water premeter of Ph 7.0, and KH 8. Is the KH to high for zebra? I know that I need to lower the KH first before lowering the ph. How do I do that? Any advice? Thanks...

No, that's perfect. Esepcially since there's no risk of the pH crashing when you add RO water to stimulate breeding. This way, when you do the dry season - rainy season transition you will not have to worry about using baking soda to raise the kH. Zebras don't mind the pH/kH, I think gH is more important especially when raising fry.

But I have to ask, how can you have a pH of 7.0 with a kH of 8? What test kit are you using? I have a kH of 5 and a pH of 7.6 (degassed - it's usually 8.0 right out of the tap) - the only way to bring it down is to lower the kH with humic acid from the driftwood.

[twinspots_goby]

The chemical I'm using is the accid buffer for disc. on the bottle, it says that it can range the ph from 5.5 - 6.8. one and half teaspoon for every 5 gal tap water when do water change, and I eventually reached my current water condition. my ph is around 6.8 to 7.0. I thought zebra prefers ph of 6.6, right?

What is GH requirement for zebra?

[Plastic Mac]

Incidentally here's a good description of how the water parameters such as Gh and KH affect each other:

http://www.drhelm.com/aquarium/chemistry.html

[Barbie]

Zebras do not prefer acidic water. They will thrive in very alkaline conditions, IME, also. You are REALLY taking a risk adding any form of buffer like that directly to the tank with water changes. It causes a huge pH bounce and it can kill your fish in short order. My fish were regularly breeding in a pH of 7.8. When my tap water got softer I actually have had MORE problems spawning them than I did with it very hard and alkaline. I' crashed the pH in a zebra tank once with discus and while the discus are perfectly happy, the zebras died at 5.5 pH.

Barbie