DKH, PH help!

[thatoneazn]

Hello All,
Longtime reefer, new stick head.
I started dabbling into sps recently.
Try to understand that basic, i get that alk, mg, ca all have to be stable.
I am having a hard time getting my ph to around 8.2 and DK between 8-11.
I have recently used a PH buffer, i know terrible idea.
How do i get a high ph with a stable DKH as mine is currently at 15.8...too high i know:
Information about my tank below, should i do a large water change? around 20 gallons?

90 Gallon Tank without PH buffer
DKH- 9
Ph 7.8
Ca- 410
Mg- 1320

90 Gallon with Tank PH buffer
DKH- 15.8
PH 8.2
Ca-440
Mg-1350

 

[Uncle99]

Hello All,
Longtime reefer, new stick head.
I started dabbling into sps recently.
Try to understand that basic, i get that alk, mg, ca all have to be stable.
I am having a hard time getting my ph to around 8.2 and DK between 8-11.
I have recently used a PH buffer, i know terrible idea.
How do i get a high ph with a stable DKH as mine is currently at 15.8...too high i know:
Information about my tank below, should i do a large water change? around 20 gallons?

90 Gallon Tank without PH buffer
DKH- 9
Ph 7.8
Ca- 410
Mg- 1320

90 Gallon with Tank PH buffer
DKH- 15.8
PH 8.2
Ca-440
Mg-1350

Forget PH, 7.8 is fine....too many chase this number.
Your numbers without buffer look good to me!
Stability is the key...
Your buffer playing with your DKH.....yup water change your Alk down....no buffer
I can get my PH up from 7.8 to 8.1 at most just by opening a window and drawing outside air into my skimmer...

Hope that helps

 

[bertoni]

pH at 7.8 is a very common level for a tank in a house with the windows shut. A lot of Tanks of the Month have run at that level.

pH buffers all work by adding alkalinity. They consume carbon dioxide from the water, which raises the pH until aeration brings more carbon dioxide into the water, so they often have a very temporary effect. I'd stop using them. As long as the dKH is in the the 7-11 range, the tank should be fine. There are rare cases in which a house has a very high amount of carbon dioxide, but pH at 7.8 is fine.

More reading:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.htm

 

[Bpb]

Take your ph buffer and throw it in the garbage. You literally never need to use that. Unless you inject pressurized co2 into your tank, your ph will never be dangerously low, your rocks and sand will eventually buffer it enough to where it bottoms out at a still-safe number.

And if you're wanting to get into sticks, your life will be easier if you keep your alkalinity under 8 dkh. I'm not saying it isn't possible to run it higher, it just introduces more risk. Like driving fast on a wet road. You may get to where you're going faster if you are perfect, but the slightest mistake can cause mass casualty. High dkh tanks also require high nutrient levels and higher light levels. Those 3 variables tend to mirror each other ideally.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[thatoneazn]

Hmm what salt allows you to have dkh under 8

 

[Bpb]

Hmm what salt allows you to have dkh under 8

I THINK tropic Marin, fritz, aquavitro, and LA salt all have dkh at 8 or under as advertised. That being said, I run 6.5-7.5 dkh but use IO/RC mix for my water changes which is like 10+ dkh. My consumption is so high that it doesn't impact alk in any significant amount. I may get a 0.1 dkh boost for half a day after a 10% water change but it stays pretty stable the rest of the week. I don't bother with dropping the alk with acid or anything. I just hunt down sales. PetSmart seems to mark it down comically low once every 6 months or so. Recently bought 4-160 gallon bucket mixes at $25 a piece


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[bertoni]

Lots of people run with the dKH above 8. Some tanks seem to have problems with those levels, although that's mostly for tanks that are getting organic carbon dosing.