Houston tap water pH

[tmac]

Recently did a move with my tetras to Houston. I now have a very high pH compared to what I had before moving. It has been like 8.3? Do you think the pH change could be causing problems and should I try to do anything for it?

Any ideas on Houston tap water?

[geoff_tropheus]

Re: Houston tap water pH

Here is Pasadena the tap is:

pH 7.8
GH 15 dH
KH 5 dH
0 ppm Nitrates
0 ppm Nitrites
0.5 ppm Ammonia

I am not sure what part of Houston has 8.3 but if the water is like in Pasdena, with a KH of 5 it is not very well buffered, and you should be able to lower it rather easy.

I am not sure what Tetras you keep, but some ideas for lowering pH would be peat for use in your filter, using a mixture of bottled RO water and mix of tap, or with chemicals such as pH down or so.

There are other ways as well, but they may take longer. Plants, and driftwood are some that come to mind.

[Liane]

Re: Houston tap water pH

Welcome to Houston and our wonderful (not!) water.  A lot of your measurements will depend where in town you live.  For example, I live up on the NW side of town (249 Willowbrook) and my pH typically runs 8.0 to 8.1.  That's great for my saltwater setup but depending on what freshwater fish you keep, it can cause problems.  I do keep a small outdoor pond with goldfish and koi and they do just fine.  

If you can acclimate your fish to the high pH and hardness here in Houston, you'll be far better off than constantly trying to manage the pH and keep it low.

Good luck!