PH problem

[milkshake]

I was fortunate to get by the house for a day.....wooohooo
I checked the PH in the tank this morning and it was :uzi: 7.6(ouch).
The only thing I have to raise it is the Seachem Reef Buffer 8.3
This is twice in the past month that this has happened and dont understand why. The only thing I have done is go from Seachem
Reef salt to Oceanic and then back to Seachem Reef. Do any of you think that this could be a result of the city water before it hits
my RO/DI unit?

 

[milkshake]

Would adding 1/2 teaspoon of pickling lime to my 1 gallon of top off water every other day be a good idea for raising the PH? I read also that this will contribute to good coraline gowth.

 

[milkshake]

Maybe I'm answering myself here...lol...but if I use the pickling lime, using the Seachem liquid calcium will no longer be required.
Right or Wrong?

 

[CaptainDave]

well, I've never used Seachem liquid calcium, so i won't comment on that, but generally, in a smaller tank such as yours, you can get by with using only kalk (pickling lime) for your Ca and Alk needs. however, kalk seems to only be good at maintaining levels - that is, you should get them to where they need to be with other additives (I use Seachem Reef Builder for Alk and Seachem Advantage Calcium for Ca), and rely on the kalk to keep them there. using kalk in your topoff is a good way to keep the pH up - my tank would run low if not for it. be careful not to add it quickly, though. you can spike your pH or cause all the calcium in your tank to precipitate out.

FWIW, I believe the most common cause of low pH in the tank is too low dissolved Oxygen, or too high a concentration of CO2. this can happen when we keep our homes shut tight and not enough fresh air is getting in.

 

[scarson61]

I remember reading about aerating your water 24 hours before adding your salt (or it makes the buffer in your salt not as useful) to help with the dissolved oxygen problem. If I find the article I will post it.
Sanman