Do Marine plants help at all with boosting pH?
- Thread starter Raibaru
- Start date
The plants may help raise youe pH during daylight hours, but if you have a problem with gas exchange, the co2 levels could cause your livestock to stress at night when the plants then consume oxygen and give off co2. Powerheads, closed loop systems with returns at least slightly breaking the water surface, overflows, or airstones can help remedy this.
Yea, I tried doing the air stone deal and it wasn't helping. It looks like I have excess CO2 in the room I'm in and giving my living arrangements I can't have the windows open year round.
So far it looks like my Salt mix played some minor role in messing with the pH because each bucket of water I make has an 8.0 pH while the original tank hovers close to the 7.8 mark. I hope with my daily water changes during the cycling process that it will eventually level out and get to the 8.0 range in the tank.
So far it looks like my Salt mix played some minor role in messing with the pH because each bucket of water I make has an 8.0 pH while the original tank hovers close to the 7.8 mark. I hope with my daily water changes during the cycling process that it will eventually level out and get to the 8.0 range in the tank.
graveyardworm
Premium Member
What is you Alk level in this tank, and what kit do you test with?
graveyardworm
Premium Member
Do you have a skimmer? Have you tested PH at various times during the light cycle to determine if its fluctuating?
graveyardworm
Premium Member
With an already high Alk I would hesitate to add buffer. I wouldnt sweat a fairly steady PH of 7.7-7.9.
graveyardworm
Premium Member
piercho
New member
The short answer as already provided is yes plant production will push pH higher when the plants are illuminated/growing. I've had pH go higher than 8.6 in a brightly lit tank with plants, even with lots of in-tank circulation and surface disturbance. On the other hand, if this is new tank with a lot of raw live rock rotting in it, bacterial action will tend to pull pH the other way. So will a high fish load.
A better way to determine equilibrium pH is to take water out of the system, put it in a bucket, vigorously aerate it for 24 hours and then test it. If the pH is still less than 8.0, I think you are closer to showing that high room CO2 is your issue. Another consideration is the pH test method. An electronic pH tester is a good investment here, IMO, and is much more accurate and reliable than hobby pH test kits, IMO/IME. If you don't want to invest in a electronic tester, you can take freshly collected water to a LFS that has one.
The dynamics here are tricky, and not knowing your system or its nutrient parameters make it hard to recommend a solution. Your total alkalinity is high enough, I would on no account push it higher by additional carbonate buffering. On the other hand, your pH is stable but unacceptably low. Trying to ammend the pH solely by pushing plant production may raise the pH, but it could also make the pH swing wildly through the day with even lower minimum values, which is worse. Having 2 tanks in the same system and illuminating them alternately is one means of pushing higher overall O2 and pH levels.
IMO, pH problems should be corrected mainly by improving gas exchange. Having a sump/OF arrangement is the typical means of forcing higher gas exchange as entraining air in falling water is a great gas stripping method. However, if your ambient CO2 levels are the source of your low pH, that may do nothing. In that case, I think your best option is to have 2 tanks and illuminate them alternately. Good luck.
A better way to determine equilibrium pH is to take water out of the system, put it in a bucket, vigorously aerate it for 24 hours and then test it. If the pH is still less than 8.0, I think you are closer to showing that high room CO2 is your issue. Another consideration is the pH test method. An electronic pH tester is a good investment here, IMO, and is much more accurate and reliable than hobby pH test kits, IMO/IME. If you don't want to invest in a electronic tester, you can take freshly collected water to a LFS that has one.
The dynamics here are tricky, and not knowing your system or its nutrient parameters make it hard to recommend a solution. Your total alkalinity is high enough, I would on no account push it higher by additional carbonate buffering. On the other hand, your pH is stable but unacceptably low. Trying to ammend the pH solely by pushing plant production may raise the pH, but it could also make the pH swing wildly through the day with even lower minimum values, which is worse. Having 2 tanks in the same system and illuminating them alternately is one means of pushing higher overall O2 and pH levels.
IMO, pH problems should be corrected mainly by improving gas exchange. Having a sump/OF arrangement is the typical means of forcing higher gas exchange as entraining air in falling water is a great gas stripping method. However, if your ambient CO2 levels are the source of your low pH, that may do nothing. In that case, I think your best option is to have 2 tanks and illuminate them alternately. Good luck.
Yea, I did the whole taking a cup outside and using an airstone in it for abit and the pH raised fairly quickly. I tried adding it to the tank and it wasn't doing anything but making the salt creep horrible. I opened the windows in the house for 3 days with the fans running and the pH steadily rose to the 8.1-8.2 range but once I shut them (winter is here) it fell back to the 7.8 range within a day or so.
I can't run an air tube outside by puting the air pump in my windowsill because I'm worried it will fill with water when it rains and such and could cause a fire. I also can't simply run an air hose and leave it in the thing and hope the skimmer pulls enough in because I'm not using a venturi based skimmer (AquaC Remora).
Freshly mixed water is stable at the 7.9 range. Tank is stable at 7.8-7.9 and although low, I'm tempted to take the LFS advice and leave it alone until I know it is causing a problem since stability is often times better then perfection.
But I was doing the air stone tests and everything prior to live rock and such. Even after I've added the live rock my pH is staying stable at the 7.8-7.9 range.
Parents suggest I try and get a real plant for my room (not my tank) that will convert a lot of co2 into o2 and see if that does anything. Any idea of a basic house plant that does something like that
I can't run an air tube outside by puting the air pump in my windowsill because I'm worried it will fill with water when it rains and such and could cause a fire. I also can't simply run an air hose and leave it in the thing and hope the skimmer pulls enough in because I'm not using a venturi based skimmer (AquaC Remora).
Freshly mixed water is stable at the 7.9 range. Tank is stable at 7.8-7.9 and although low, I'm tempted to take the LFS advice and leave it alone until I know it is causing a problem since stability is often times better then perfection.
But I was doing the air stone tests and everything prior to live rock and such. Even after I've added the live rock my pH is staying stable at the 7.8-7.9 range.
Parents suggest I try and get a real plant for my room (not my tank) that will convert a lot of co2 into o2 and see if that does anything. Any idea of a basic house plant that does something like that
worlds under
New member
Try adding plants to the room that the fish tank is in. you can find plants that don't need lots of light to grow. taking Co2 out of the air will help some. for ph at night run a refugium opp light cycle of the display system.
chefthomasr
New member
Try Tradescantia zebrina - Wandering Jew. You have to work hard to kill them. And they are beautiful.
Jenny
Jenny
Hydrometers can be off that much sometimes. I have seen it happen many times with old, and once in a great while, new hydrometers, that it will give a false reading(especially the popular plastic ones).
Have you tried testing your water another hydrometer, or better yet, a refractometer?
Compare the reading of the hydrometer you have been using against a refractometer as soon as you can. Usually a LFS or someone in your local aquarium society will have one.
Similar threads
