Kareen
Members
Hi All, Just would like to know how many Almond leaves would you put in a 20gl tank and how long to they last. I'm looking to breed some Rams & Bristlenoses my Ph is 8.0 so I know I need to lower it. Thanks for any info
JLW
CCA Members
Hey Karen,
Almond leaves don't really significantly lower pH in hard water -- which you probably have. They let out some tannic acid, which will gradually lower the pH, and they help to lower the hardness, which makes it easier to lower the pH. Hard water, which typically has a lot of alkalinity, resists changes in pH, and you have to lower the hardness before you can easily lower the pH.
The Bristles don't really care about pH, though the rams do. Your best bet to lower the hardness would be to change out at least 50-75% of the water with distilled / RO water, which you can purchase at a good aquarium store, or a place like DrinkMoreWater.
You can also try stronger acids than what you'll get out of an indian almond leaf to lower the pH; some of these are available on the market for lowering pH of aquarium water, but they may cause algae problems. Probably the best is "Discus Buffer," by Seachem, which helps to precipitate out some calcium salts, lowering hardness, and acidifies the water. Be careful not to lower the pH too much at once, though!
FYI, I personally think the purchase of indian almond leaves is silly. American Oak, Beech, Walnut, and numerous other trees do exactly the same thing. A quick rinse under tap water, and they're good to go. (You should rinse your Indian Almonds, too!). I can get all the oak leaves I want for free. Heck, people will pay you to remove them.
Almond leaves don't really significantly lower pH in hard water -- which you probably have. They let out some tannic acid, which will gradually lower the pH, and they help to lower the hardness, which makes it easier to lower the pH. Hard water, which typically has a lot of alkalinity, resists changes in pH, and you have to lower the hardness before you can easily lower the pH.
The Bristles don't really care about pH, though the rams do. Your best bet to lower the hardness would be to change out at least 50-75% of the water with distilled / RO water, which you can purchase at a good aquarium store, or a place like DrinkMoreWater.
You can also try stronger acids than what you'll get out of an indian almond leaf to lower the pH; some of these are available on the market for lowering pH of aquarium water, but they may cause algae problems. Probably the best is "Discus Buffer," by Seachem, which helps to precipitate out some calcium salts, lowering hardness, and acidifies the water. Be careful not to lower the pH too much at once, though!
FYI, I personally think the purchase of indian almond leaves is silly. American Oak, Beech, Walnut, and numerous other trees do exactly the same thing. A quick rinse under tap water, and they're good to go. (You should rinse your Indian Almonds, too!). I can get all the oak leaves I want for free. Heck, people will pay you to remove them.
Localzoo
Board of Directors
Hey Karen,
Almond leaves don't really significantly lower pH in hard water -- which you probably have. They let out some tannic acid, which will gradually lower the pH, and they help to lower the hardness, which makes it easier to lower the pH. Hard water, which typically has a lot of alkalinity, resists changes in pH, and you have to lower the hardness before you can easily lower the pH.
The Bristles don't really care about pH, though the rams do. Your best bet to lower the hardness would be to change out at least 50-75% of the water with distilled / RO water, which you can purchase at a good aquarium store, or a place like DrinkMoreWater.
You can also try stronger acids than what you'll get out of an indian almond leaf to lower the pH; some of these are available on the market for lowering pH of aquarium water, but they may cause algae problems. Probably the best is "Discus Buffer," by Seachem, which helps to precipitate out some calcium salts, lowering hardness, and acidifies the water. Be careful not to lower the pH too much at once, though!
FYI, I personally think the purchase of indian almond leaves is silly. American Oak, Beech, Walnut, and numerous other trees do exactly the same thing. A quick rinse under tap water, and they're good to go. (You should rinse your Indian Almonds, too!). I can get all the oak leaves I want for free. Heck, people will pay you to remove them.
True I believe you can make a tea out of the oak leaves...that does the same if you prefer not to have the leaves in the tank.
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