Lowering PH

[dmdaquascapes]

Hi, not new to aquariums but I’ve been having some ideas that I’d like to discuss but I’m not sure where to put them.

I live in Barbados, which is a beautiful country built on limestone. My tap water chemistry has a high ph (8.6 - 9) and tds (300+). To get around the tds, I use collected rainwater and ac water, (tds 0 - 15). I am now wondering about reducing my ph. I wondered if I could add plain white vinegar to my stored water to bring the ph down to 7 or 7.5. I wonder if this could or would be detrimental to the livestock and how it would affect plant growth?

Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

[BenB]

Are you planning on adding CO2 to your tank for the plants? If you are, you can lower your pH that way.

Is the pH still so high after you use the rain water?

 

[dmdaquascapes]

Actually I do use CO2 and that brings the ph down to about 8.1. My drop checker is yellow btw. The rain water ph is higher than the tap actually, 9+. I will take some readings this afternoon and post for comparison.

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

Is an RO unit an option? They're not cheap, but there are some good units for $150. It'll change your entire hobby's success...