Help me raise my PH

bamadws56

New member
I am having trouble keeping my PH up over 8.1. I am running a refugium on a counter light cycle. I also dose kalkwasser in the top off. Anyone know of any other ways to raise PH?

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This is common in winter as our houses are shut up tight and CO2 is higher. Do you run a skimmer? Have you tried opening a window for a while for some fresh air?
 
I do run a skimmer and had the Windows open today. No impact thus far. I pointed one of my powerheads at the surface too to increase gas exchange. Still hovering around 8.0 or 8.1. Follow up question for the forum, does ph impact algae growth?

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Google DIY CO2 scrubber. They remove the excess CO2 in our houses that builds up when we have the windows closed. I finally made one a couple of weeks ago, my ph has always been way too low, always around 7.75. Raised it up to 8.05-8.1 in a couple of days and has stayed there since. Very cheap to build using an old plastic container and soda lime that can be ordered online. Cheaper sources than our reef suppliers are out there, some are in the post on how to build it.
 
Your pH is fine. Don't beat yourself up trying to hit a target value. Stay within the ideal ranges and shoot for stability. Just my .02
 
Ignore it. You can do more damage chasing pH than just not knowing what it is. Keep the alk stable and good and ignore the PH.

The only exception to this is if you are using an Muratic for alk control or some Kalk for supplement.
 
Ignore it. You can do more damage chasing pH than just not knowing what it is. Keep the alk stable and good and ignore the PH.

The only exception to this is if you are using an Muratic for alk control or some Kalk for supplement.

This is good advice.
 
I am in the same boat as you

I build a DIY CO2 scrubber.but it goes through the media very fast with a basement sump

too expansive

just going to dose KALK with my two part and leave it alone

good luck
 
Your pH is fine. Don't beat yourself up trying to hit a target value. Stay within the ideal ranges and shoot for stability. Just my .02



^^^this. I beat my head up over ph for well over a year.

Things would go well in the tank then bad.

One day I gave up on ph and started hammering down my alk, mag, and calcium.

Once those were dialed in and stabile my tank flourished.

Stopped dosing kalk two months ago at which time my ph dropped from ~8.35 to 8.15 so still normal.

Ph in am is usually ~7.85 and rises slowly even though I run a reverse light cycle in refugium.


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Quick question for those saying to worry about the alk not the pH. I was under the impression that a pH of 8.3 is desirable for coral growth. In fact, I am positive that this has been said a number of times in various BRS videos like 52 Weeks, and 52 FAQ, etc.

Are they wrong?
 
Quick question for those saying to worry about the alk not the pH. I was under the impression that a pH of 8.3 is desirable for coral growth. In fact, I am positive that this has been said a number of times in various BRS videos like 52 Weeks, and 52 FAQ, etc.

Are they wrong?

That was a very interesting video. Raise PH to around 8.3 and your 2 part consumption doubled. So it appears that a higher PH is desirable.
 
BRS and manufacturer videos and literature are to sell products. Period. The chemistry forum and articles from guys like Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley are better places to get knowledge. They will say the same thing - don't chase PH, just keep the alk steady. There are some calcification figures in an article or two IIRC.

8.3 might be ideal for calcification like having MH is still ideal for coral growth and color, but there is a line that every reefer must choose between ideal and sustainable. You will not see a difference in calcification. If you really must worry about it, then getting fresh air into your house is the best way to raise the PH.

Seriously, take it from the thousands who have chased PH to (at best) no avail or (at worst) crashed at tank.
 
On my 300 gal mixed reef I use the following:
Reverse lighting fuge with cheto
Protein skimmer
Air stones in sump with small compressor outside (100% OSA injection)
Kalc reactor tied into my ATO with additional APEX controlled solenoid valves that feed water through kalc reactor when tank ph is below 8.3 and when tank ph is above 8.3 it by-passes the kalc reactor and feeds straight DI water.
 
id say 8.1 isn't bad, I've been battling ph for awhile now and dosing it every other day with 8.4, they do make stronger ph solutions that you can dose with but it gets risky. the best thing you can do is just watch the coral and see how your tank is responding to the ph its currently at. i have a bunch or coral in my tank, a nem and an urchin who all like the higher ph levels and they are doing great at 8.2 but if i skip a couple days of dosing my ph drops to 7 and they still seem to do alright although thats not a very good ph and i don't prefer to keep it there for very long.
 
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