Week old pond Ph Spikes can I use lemon juice to lower?

.5.

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I have an overproductive lemon tree and it seems safer than the pet store ph lowering solution (Koi eat oranges right?)

BTW I'm from Los angeles home of the hardest water in the country.

I have the ammonia at .05ppm, Ph at 7.6-7.8.
By the water meter reading while filling the pond is about 110 cf 3" deep 7X7 feet at the top with about a 60 degree slope to the bottom. Call the pond 800-100 gallons roughly.
 

koiguy1969

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crushed oyster shell is a natural ph "locker" put some in a nylon stocking or two and locate it in an area that has constant water circulation. 7.6 is an adequate ph for fish. it will cost about $4.00 to get you set. and will last all season and then some.
 

.5.

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But if the ph creeps into the 8 or higher can I use citrus juice to lower it?
I'm also noticing mosquito larvae hiding in the border rocks.
 

koiguy1969

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you can go to any nursery, lowes or home depot and get some mosquitoe dunks, or your fish will feast on the larvae... is your filter running? they prefer to lay eggs in still water. i never heard of citrus juice to lower p.h, so this i cannot comment on. your safe now, so put in the crushed oyster shells and you should be fine. they are a great natural buffer
 
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Hi, which part of Los Angeles are you located?
I'm in Burbank, CA. and would love to see your pond for some inspiration, if you're okay with that.
 
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Does the oyster shell initially raise the pH? I was kind of shocked to find-out that mine is 8 out of the tap. I distinctly remember that the water report when I bought the house said 7.0. Of course, being a new pond it will probably be more of a low pH problem initially. FYI, you can buy crushed oyster shell as a chicken feed supplement also.
 
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As others have said, your pH is perfect. Lemon juice would be a terrible choice for lowering pH. It's loaded with organic materials that will rot and foul your water.
 

addy1

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Malak said:
Does the oyster shell initially raise the pH? I was kind of shocked to find-out that mine is 8 out of the tap. I distinctly remember that the water report when I bought the house said 7.0. Of course, being a new pond it will probably be more of a low pH problem initially. FYI, you can buy crushed oyster shell as a chicken feed supplement also.
My understanding is the oyster shells affect the hardness, and stabilize the ph, not really raising it. My water is a ph of 5-6 ish, Since I put in the crushed shells I have not had to do anything to keep a decent ph for the few lil fish.


Oyster Shells: they can only disolve in the presence of acid
 

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Is that well water that is coming out at 5-6 PH? Is there a way to tell what is chemical is in the water causing it to be that low?
 

fishin4cars

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shakaho said:
As others have said, your pH is perfect. Lemon juice would be a terrible choice for lowering pH. It's loaded with organic materials that will rot and foul your water.

Actually lemon Juice has citric acid, all natural. it will work for lowering PH, The problem with lemon juice is that the Citric acid is bio-degradable and the bio-filter will actually feed on the acid and use it at a high rate, without a stabilizer it's going to start fluctuating the PH greatly, that is bad for your fish. Also, what is it breaking down too?? If you don't know and you can't find a safe answer, best advice, DON'T USE IT! Stability in your PH is what is more important. A ph of 6.5-8.0 is actually not going to harm your fish, If it is to the outer extremes it can cause some issues with your bio filter and also can effect breeding to some extent but by far not keep anything from happening, they just may lay less, or produce more infertile eggs. but the fish themselves aren't going to be that affected, If the PH is going from 6.5-7.5 then back to 6.5 or vice verse, this will cause stress which could lead to possible parasite and bacteria outbreaks.
I get oyster shells from a local seafood restraunt that serves oysters on the half shell, I boil them for about 30 minutes, let them dry completely, then let them soak in a bucket of water and change the water completely out once a week until I do not read any ammonia and has a non-rotten smell. (This is to remove any extra left muscle tissue that may be left over) Crush about 3-4 gallons worth, rinse once more and then place them in the filter fall. Started using this method last year, The original bag I started with has probably lost about 1/4th of the original amount. PH stays within 7.4- 7.7 except after heavy rains which actually makes it climb to 7.8-7.9 for about 48-72 hours before slowly lowering. I've tested my rain water catch and 8.0-8.2 is fairly normal catch water PH.
 

addy1

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DrDave said:
Is that well water that is coming out at 5-6 PH? Is there a way to tell what is chemical is in the water causing it to be that low?
Our well is that low, we have not had it tested, our rain here is a low ph also. We have a lot of shale type rock, clay etc. Very rural area.
 

addy1

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I put 100 lbs in my pond, which is around 9-10 k gallons, the shells are in the bog right where the water flows over them. The hardness is slowly going up.
 

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