Oxygenating the Water?

[ReeferNoob4ever]

Thank you for the feedback everyone.

I have heard of RO water filters buffering pH to 7.0 for human consumption.

And I am definitely no rocket scientist!

 

[powderblue1]

Use baking soda in your top-off water. Do the macro-algae thing in your sump (when you begin to understand that you need one with a protien skimmer)and you can start dosing with Kent's part one and two once you are a year in. Things go slow in this hobby. You'll get it. Shoot for 8.3, but know that what you have is not going to be a problem for what you want to do. Are you planning on hard corals???

 

[ReeferNoob4ever]

No I don't plan on doing hard corals. Maybe a calm eventually. Right now I'm just taking my time. I have a peppermint shrimp, bicolor chromis, 2 turbo snails, a feather duster and neon green polyps.

 

[pfan151]

Don't stress. Once you get some livestock do frequent waterchanges with rodi (not goldfish water) and you'll be fine. No need to add air bubbles and with the stock you are planning to add you probably won't need supplements either.

 

[Potatohead]

Use baking soda in your top-off water.

OP, I would highly suggest you do not do this.

 

[Darthv247]

looks just like my first reef tank get a decent skimmer in there and your ph will be fine. that looks like a red sea HoB skimmer in there? it will do for awhile but never liked their performance.

tank is off.to a.good start though! have fun and enjoy it.

 

[ReeferNoob4ever]

I don't plan on putting anything in my top off water. It's strange, after adding salt to my RO water for a water change it is at 8.2, tank still reads 7.8ish.

 

[ReeferNoob4ever]

Thanks Darthv247! I'm actually not using a skimmer at all. It's just a HOB filter. I don't think I need a skimmer. I plan on having two small fish tops and the rest softies/inverts.

 

[ReeferNoob4ever]

Why can't I just add pH up solution in my water changes? Will it increase my alkalinty? But that's OK because my kH is only 120ppm anyway. I can afford to raise that to 140-180 so long as my calcium stays at 400+ if my pH slowly goes up by .2 over a couple months that would be ok.

 

[GillsGoneWild]

I tell you this with all of the love in my heart...and it's coming from someone who did the same thing a few years ago:
Stop chasing pH!!! Focus on proper dKH and calcium numbers. The pH will follow those. I monitor my alkalinity nearly every day and calcium weekly. My pH test kit has dust on the box.

 

[ReeferNoob4ever]

OK, so how do I raise my dkh from 7 to 9?

 

[GillsGoneWild]

OK, so how do I raise my dkh from 7 to 9?

I use a 2-part dosing additive to maintain the calcium and alkalinity parameters in my system. Used the B-Ionic solutions from ESV for a long time, now using the AquaForest products and very happy with them. YMMV.

Here is a great article by Randy Holmes-Farley on reef chemistry:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

 

[nereefpat]

OK, so how do I raise my dkh from 7 to 9?

baking soda or washing soda. Really cheap and really easy.

 

[Timfish]

Potentially not a good thing, hyperoxia will significantly reduce the calcification of corals.

 

[ReeferNoob4ever]

Luckily at the moment the pH seems to have gone up slightly after my last 10% water change. Seems like the nitrates also have leveled off their decline at around 5-10ppm.

 

[Jdack]

Ok, sounds like you have a great start my friend. Research alkalinity and its effects, and start youtubing 2 part dosing for reef tanks, and just stick with monitoring kh/calcium/mag for the next few months. trust all of the guys here saying, basically ignore your ph, unless it falls or raises by huge number.

test in order for now -
kh
calcium
mag
nitrate (could be #2 in fact since your new)

Slightly bigger water changes, slightly more frequent ( this alone will help everything!!....... even.. ph...)

Stick with it and keep reefing!

 

[powderblue1]

OP, I would highly suggest you do not do this.

Any reason why???

Take a read:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2171141

Use this if you want to use the baking soda:
http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

Check out the chemistry forum. They are informative reads...:eek1:

 

[ReeferNoob4ever]

What's the difference between baking soda, pH UP, and api buffer 8.2?

 

[Potatohead]

Any reason why???

Take a read:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2171141

Use this if you want to use the baking soda:
http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

Check out the chemistry forum. They are informative reads...:eek1:

Using baking soda to raise kh, and putting baking soda in your top off water are totally different things. One is controlled and one is not.

 

[Potatohead]

What's the difference between baking soda, pH UP, and api buffer 8.2?

In the end, nothing.

Ph products also raise carbonate alkalinity. They simply do. You need to forget about ph, throw the test away, keep your kh/calcium/mag in the correct range and ph will take care of itself.