pH Help

[blueeagle]

How high is to high for pH?

I have a 75 gal tank with a wet/dry sump and a PM Bullet 1 skimmer. My plan is to replace the wet/dry with a sump in the near future, within a month.

I was adding kalkwasser as my make-up water and my pH was around 8.45; so I decided to stop over a week ago and my pH now is 8.77.

I just tested my parameters:

pH 8.77
Temp 82.5
SG 1.025
Calcium 420
KH 150 (about 8.3 dKH)
Magnesium 1480
Phosphate 0.25 (between 0 and the first gradient 0.25 on test kit)
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
Ammonia 0.1 (between 0 and the first gradient 0.1 on test kit)

I know pH should be less than 8.4 but how much over is still "Safe"? And is there any way to lower pH.

I only have been adding Kent Essential Elements, Iodine, and Coral-Vite, and Strontium once a week. Tthe label indicates one cap per 50 gallons, I only dose 1 cap for 75 gallons.

Thanks,
Earl

 

[itZme]

You can lower PH safely and easily with plain white vinegar. I had a valve stick open and dump too much kalkwasser into my tank. The PH hit 9.8 and I dumped in a whole quart of vinegar to bring it back down to 8.4.

Randy has an article somewhere to tell you how much to dose to lower it. I will look around for a link for you.

You could just add it slowly and test frequently.

-- Kevin

 

[itZme]

Here ya go!

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-03/rhf/index.php

 

[blueeagle]

Kevin, That did it, thanks a million!

I added enough vinegar to lower the pH by 0.3 and my pH is 8.48. I will check again in morning and adjust a little at a time.

Thanks again and the article is excellent, I will read it in more detail when I have time and my eyes are not crossed!