Water Changes

[chris]

Hi can anyone please advise on this situation, In my breeding tank at the moment the PH sits a little high at about 7.4. This is straight tap water.
I put my Turq pair in today but, I used old water from my other tank, the PH stays at about 6.8.
Anyway I change 50% of the breeding tank water with 50% of the community tank water and, when I tested the breeding tank the ph was slightly acidic. which I was happy with but, slight nitrate and nitrite reading.
Community tank water has 0 reeadings of these and amonia.
To maintain good readings should I continue to use old community tank water or, I would much rather prefere to use tap water with a rain water mix.
Which option

[kalebjarrod]

just change with your tap water

as long as the tank has been cycled that your best option

clean clean clean water is the trick

you won't get that from your community water

[Merrilyn]

Chris, try some peat in your filter to bring that pH down from 7.4 to around 7.

It's a bit high for a breeding tank.

Doing water changes with old water from your community tank is not a good idea. It will be carrying all the things that we want to remove from the water. Best to age your tap water first with peat in the barrel, then use that for waterchanges.

[chris]

I would like to use a rain water tank water mix would this help to lower PH
In the breeding tank before when it had gravel in it the PH stayed acid, after gravel is out with same water changes it stays around 7.4, in time with tap water would I expet it to be acid
Peat is the option I age my water in buckets.

[kalebjarrod]

first time i used water aged with peat i had two pairs of discus spwan

never had a spwan in that tank by those fish before the fact

peat will drop your pH but not by much maybe .4-.6

but even still your fish will love it