How to lower ph in a newly cycled tank

[Gabby101]

Hi, not sure if I’m posting this in the right spot.
I just finished cycling my new tank, but the issue is the ph of the new tank is a 7.4. I currently have a 75 gallon tank with two severums and that tank has a ph 6.4. I plan to move the severums into the new tank. So I’m trying to lower the new tank to around a 6.5 because I think that if the severums go into a 7.4 ph from a 6.4 that would harm them since they like a way lower ph. I had bottle of ph down and it didn’t work, but I’m also not a fan of those chemicals anyways. I have driftwood in the tank but currently no plants. Anyone have tips on how to lower the ph a lot? Or what I should do? Thanks!

 

[danotaylor]

Gabby the nitrification process of converting ammonia and nitrite to nitrate is actually an acidifying process. If your source water for the current severum tank is exactly the same as the water used to cycle the 75gal you can assume that with an established bioload once you move the sev’s that the pH will drift down as it has done in your existing tank.
Transferring your sevs from 6.4 to 7.5 will be fine if you acclimate in a bucket by adding water slowly to bring the pH up. But TBH many experiences keeps do the plop & drop method with shipped fish by acclimating temp only and then just dropping the fish in. The reason for this is pH in a shipped bag drops d/t the presence of ammonia. Ammonia is less toxic at pH<7. Once a bag is open to air and water from existing tank is added the pH rapidly climbs and fish fish can die quickly from ammonia poisoning. A 1 time exposure to pH shock is less risky, and 6.4 to 7.5 is not a huge jump.
All that to say is I would not worry about lowering the pH. It will end up the same as your other tank at some point if the water source is the same.

 

[deeda]

G Gabby101 , what is the difference between the current severum tank and the new 75G tank that can explain the difference in pH? Is it the substrate, decor, addition of buffers to the current tank or the frequency of water changes to the current tank?

What is the pH and KH of your tap water?

 

[phreeflow]

Agree with danotaylor…just put them in a bucket of the original tank water and slowly add the new tank water to raise the pH. They should adapt fine