tanyamikephil
New member
My PH gets low, but if I add buffer to bump it up the Alk goes up too so Ive always got either low PH or high Alk.
Id appreciate some advise on this. Thanks
Id appreciate some advise on this. Thanks
ph & alk question
- Thread starter tanyamikephil
- Start date
tanyamikephil
New member
my PH was 7.8 and Alk was 9.3
tanyamikephil
New member
but that's the problem"¦I don't want to increase the Alk it's 9.3 right now and it needs to come down but when I do that with water changes the PH drops to low then. Its making me crazy trying to balance the two.
Staisman
New member
What are you using to elevate your Alk ? Or you just do your water changes to bring it up again?
Also 7.8 PH is ok, it is on the low side but OK. Try open the window and let the fresh air in and see if it helps.
tanyamikephil
New member
we just do water changes to bring down the Alk. Is there another way to do this?
mcgyvr
New member
As stated 7.8 PH is low but OK.. and your ALK is really fine too.
typically suggest range for ALK is 7-11 dKH
Any reason you want to lower the ALK?
Seems like everything is fine so long as PH maintains stable around 7.8 and doesn't fall much further...
Still wouldn't be a bad idea to test getting some fresh air into the room through some open windows and see how the PH is effected..
typically suggest range for ALK is 7-11 dKH
Any reason you want to lower the ALK?
Seems like everything is fine so long as PH maintains stable around 7.8 and doesn't fall much further...
Still wouldn't be a bad idea to test getting some fresh air into the room through some open windows and see how the PH is effected..
Staisman
New member
Another way is to wait until it gets depleted/consumed by the corals and then use Soda Ash to rise it. This will also rise your PH.
disc1
-RT * ln(k)
There is a mathematical relationship between pH, alkalinity, and CO2 dissolved in the water. The CO2 when it dissolves doesn't change the alkalinity, but lowers the pH. When you use a buffer to raise the pH, the alkalinity goes up and shortly thereafter CO2 goes into the water to bring it back to equilibrium and the pH goes back down.
If you want your tank to run at a higher pH, you have to get the amount of CO2 dissolved in the water down. Usually this happens because our houses are so well sealed up these days and all us animals both in the tank and out are breathing out CO2 all the time. It gets trapped and as the CO2 concentration rises the pH drops. Sometimes, just opening up a window will fix the problem or just running the airline to the skimmer outside. Other times it takes more extreme measures like putting a CO2 scrubber on the skimmer air intake.
If you want your tank to run at a higher pH, you have to get the amount of CO2 dissolved in the water down. Usually this happens because our houses are so well sealed up these days and all us animals both in the tank and out are breathing out CO2 all the time. It gets trapped and as the CO2 concentration rises the pH drops. Sometimes, just opening up a window will fix the problem or just running the airline to the skimmer outside. Other times it takes more extreme measures like putting a CO2 scrubber on the skimmer air intake.
anthonys51
New member
are you running a protein skimmer on the tank. when i first set up my tank i didnt have a skimmer, i noticed the ph was always running low, soon as i added the skimmer it sloved the problem.
tanyamikephil
New member
On the salifert test kit i have it states that the Alk should be between 7-8 dKH but if 7-11 is ok then that will make my life much much easier!
homer1475
New member
It actually says natural sea water is between 7 and 8. But in the hobby most keep it around 9 and as far up as 11 with no ill effects.
tanyamikephil
New member
I wish i'd known this sooner it would have saved a ton of stress. Now I know I've been doing ok all along"¦thank you.
