Low pH of water in Chicago land.

[Lucas9]

I live in Schiller Park and I am pretty sure my water is from Lake Michigan. After RODI the ph is quite low. My salt increases it to some 7.7 But it is still too low.

Please post how you solved your problem of low ph. Is dosing kalk enough?

 

[Edward Smith]

Dosing with kalk will solve the problem perfectly. But if your tank is a FOWLR, you probably really don't need the Ca++. I wonder is there is an easier additive to add to raise ph.

I also wonder about the need to dose kalk 24hrs a day at a slow rate? Would it be safe and usefull just to dose kalk when you feed the tank. I don't mean a volume equal to the evaporation rate but maybe 2 cups of kalk water a day for a 150g system.

Just found this:

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

 

[Lucas9]

I read the article from the link. I tried the aeration with fresh air mathod, which worked on 1 glass of water scale. So then i hooked up my skimmer to fresh air, but that did not seem to have any effect on 150G. I am thinking of some algea, but I dont know which one is the best for aeration.

 

[Pufferpunk]

I live next door to you (Franklin Park) & add nothing but salt. My pH usually runs about 8.2-8.3

 

[Lucas9]

So what am i doing wrong then. I dont get it. Do you use RODI? Absolutely no additives? No baking soda etc? Just salt? Thanks for the post.

 

[jasutton]

i thought that DI inherently made the water clightly more acidic. but i also thought that salt could correct for that...i am confused...

 

[rigleautomotive]

adding baked baking soda to your rodi water will help

 

[Lucas9]

Yeah, RODI lowers ph supposedly. My salt cannot increase ph high enough I guess. I will create some makeup water today and test ph. Then I will add some baking soda.

rigleautomotive, just any baking soda from a grocery store?

Pufferpunk, what salt do you use? I use Coralife link

 

[Lucas9]

jasutton, do you also have a problem with ph? Is it just me having this problem in Chicago land?

 

[rigleautomotive]

i use armm and hammer and bake it 70 minutes at 350.probably any brand will work.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Just tested-- ~8.4, haven't done a WC since last Tuesday. Been using Reef Crystals for the past couple of years & recently changed over to Tropic Marin (just the past 3 WC). My tank is packed w/corals, not many SPS though.

 

[jasutton]

i have no problem, but i also use a two parter for calcium and dKh

but also, and please be nice, i dont use RO/DI!! mainly because i cant afford a system yet...i suck i know

But back in the day when i worked in a chemistry Lab i used DI that was at a pH of 5.5, the salt raised it with no problem up to 8.2. but a ton of Ca precipitated out of the salt mixture and i had to stir it back up once the pH was higher. I had fish only tanks so i didnt mind at the time. HTH

 

[lynetteww125]

Re: Low pH of water in Chicago land.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7936333#post7936333 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lucas9
I live in Schiller Park and I am pretty sure my water is from Lake Michigan. After RODI the ph is quite low. My salt increases it to some 7.7 But it is still too low.

Please post how you solved your problem of low ph. Is dosing kalk enough?

My pH has been as low as 7.8 and I have tried many different "pH boosters" but only like one of them. The one I had the best results with is the "Seachem Liquid Marine Buffer". It works very well for me.