Distilled Water

[Stasiak]

Hello,

I have a question about distilled water.

I read that using distilled water and then adding shrimp minerals to it to bring the minerals back up is a good way to lower the PH.

So I went out and bought bottled distilled water. I tested it, and the ph was 6.0. I added the minerals and then let it sit for 1 hr. I tested the water again. The GH was at the high end for cherries, and the PH was about 8.2. I figured I added too much minerals.

I had another bottle of of distilled water. I tested it when I opened that one. It was 6.0. I added the minerals. Only a little dash. I let it sit. 1 hour latter, tested the water. Barely a trace of gh and kh but the ph was 8.0.

So, my question is. Does the ph of bottle still water go up after you open it and then come back down? Do I have to leave it sit before it comes down?

Thank you very much for any help you may have to offer.

[Mustafa]

First of all...what are you measuring with? Second...since this is just pure water any change in alkalinity (or acid levels) can drive the pH up or down dramatically. Once you add the bottle to your hopefully already established/cycled tank the pH gets buffered to a more appropriate level if the KH is that low.

[Stasiak]

I am measuring with API tests. So even if it's a crazy high ph, it will go down some way in the tank? What buffers it in there? Plants?

[Stasiak]

Hello Mustafa,

Thank you for your response, and sorry about the last one. I wrote it first thing from my ipad.

What I am using for testing is API GH and KH tests, and I also have the master api water test kit. I used that to measure the ph.

Like I said, the water seemed to raise up to 8+ once I added the shrimp minerals. I'm pretty confused on why it would do that because people say saltyshrimp doesn't mess with the PH. I am not sure what the TDS is yet, but I am planning on getting a meter to test it. Apparently tap water only has like 20 tds or something so I need to check it out. I will still have to test that.

I am sorry, but with being new I'm still trying to understand the GK HK and PH levels of the tank when it comes to keeping shrimp. My cherry shrimp seem to be ok. They do breed. They recently had shrimplets. But only like 4 are in there. The guy at the shop said they have about 30 at a time and that there should of been alot of more.

To clarify, if I put in distilled water, will it eventually just go down in the tank by itself? Or d you need to add tap water. Like a mixture of 50/50 or something? Or with the water just going through the pump/filter, will it buffer it?

I'm sorry if it sounds like newbish questions, its' a bit confusing to me.

Thanks Mustafa for your response!

[Mustafa]

What is the kh level currently? that really determines the pH unless there is a source of CO2 somewhere (like decaying stuff or lots of plants). Any kH above 1 will basically get you a pH of at least 7.4-7.5 usually.